Dokpesi Jr’s ‘no regrets’ remark unfair to former DAAR executives — Akiotu

By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA — A former Group Managing Director (GMD) of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Tony Akiotu, has faulted the “no regrets” comment attributed to the company’s chairman, Raymond Dokpesi Jr, describing it as unfair to members of the erstwhile executive management team.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Akiotu said the remark created a misleading impression that the former management ran the company aground. He maintained that key operational and financial decisions taken during his tenure were subject to board oversight and approval.

Dokpesi Jr had, in an earlier interview, defended the restructuring measures introduced under his leadership, saying they were necessary to stabilise DAAR Communications following the death of its founder, Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Sr. While apologising to affected executives, he insisted he had no regrets about the decisions.

In his response, Akiotu argued that the narrative failed to acknowledge the role of the board and the internal control mechanisms that guided management actions for more than a decade. He noted that the company adopted an internal control and operations manual in 2012, clearly defining approval limits and delineating responsibilities between management and the board.

“It was embarrassing and almost ridiculous that the chairman of a board that presided over meetings and approved management memos could accuse the same management of attempting to run the company aground,” Akiotu said.

He added that DAAR Communications expanded significantly under the former management he led, evolving into a national and international media brand with radio and television presence across Nigeria, as well as operations in the United Kingdom and the United States.

While acknowledging that the retirement of executives could be justified under company rules, Akiotu said the manner of their exit and the public characterisation of their stewardship were unjust.

He recalled that members of the team made considerable personal sacrifices in the company’s formative years, working under challenging conditions and enduring physical and emotional strain in pursuit of what he described as a shared vision.

According to him, their commitment was driven less by financial reward than by loyalty to the late Dokpesi Snr and a determination to build a pioneering broadcast institution within Nigeria’s media landscape.

“And today, if Raymond Dokpesi Jr has inherited the company and believes we are no longer part of its story or deserving of recognition, we leave posterity and Nigerians to judge,” he said.

Earlier, Dokpesi Jr had defended the management shake-up following his father’s sudden passing, describing the decisions as tough but necessary to stabilise the organisation and secure its future.

He said the exit of long-serving executives was an inevitable step towards ensuring continuity and growth, adding that the transition was carefully managed to prevent internal friction and preserve investor and stakeholder confidence.

According to the chairman, the company faced significant headwinds in the immediate aftermath of his father’s death, including waning investor confidence and declining share prices.

He also disclosed that he had been confronted with both family obligations and urgent corporate matters, and alleged that the company secretary convened an emergency board meeting without his knowledge — a development he said prompted consideration of formal steps to safeguard corporate governance.

“It is also true that, upon their exit, there were salary arrears and other obligations which we, as an organisation, had to settle. But they had led management for the past 15 years and had accumulated salary arrears running into billions,” he said.

“I will continue to apologise to Mr Tony Akiotu and the exited management staff for any hurt feelings arising from the decisions taken. But without regrets, I believe it was the right course of action — and the proof is already evident in the results we are seeing,” Dokpesi Jr added.

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