"Buhari has no powers to stop AIT" – Dokpesi

Chairman and Director of Daar Communications PLC, Raymond Dokpesi, has stated that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari has no powers, to bar one of its subsidiaries, Africa Independent Television (AIT), from covering his activities.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Premium Times yesterday, Dokpesi said attempting to stop AIT would amount to breaking the law adding that General Buhari should be reminded that he cannot return Nigeria to the era of Decree 4.
“I am sure that the President-elect needs to be reminded of Decree 4, and he should be clearly reminded that section 32 of the constitution makes it mandatory for the media to hold public officials accountable to the people.”
“The president-elect said that he does not want to be covered by AIT, but AIT has a responsibility to the Nigerian public to report the things that are happening,” he said.
“There are three national networks available for national coverage in Nigeria, the NTA, AIT and Silverbirds. You cannot stop a foremost private station from reporting in Nigeria, it brings us back to Decree 4 era.”
And on the documentaries aired on the station about Buhari. Dokpesi said, “If they had produced their own documentary to say this is what we want and AIT did not publish it, then that is another matter.”
“What is obviously very clear is the fact that AIT believes that the historical information about the President elect that were ran, were factually correct. Nothing was done to defame him or impinge on his character or integrity.”
“We take responsibility for the running of these items and I as an individual is satisfied because due diligence was followed in ensuring that the things that are contained were factually right”.
 
Credit: Premium Times

Opinion: Tinubu and the burden of morality | By: Samue Ajayi

I watched the AIT documentary on APC National Leader (I still wonder what that office is for) Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and two things emerged: I learnt NOTHING and also learnt SOMETHING.
First, I was aware of the primitive acquisition by the politician. So it was nothing. It was the magnitude of the acquisition that shocked me. That was something.
However, let us assume that ONLY HALF of those ‘allegations’ are true, it is height of immorality and obscene abuse office. Imagine this: how many former governors are still occupying former houses originally owned by the state government, both valued at N1.1b?
The house, according to the documentary, at 5 Oyinkan Abayomi, VI, was owned by Lagos state government but has been ‘ceded’ to Tinubu as retirement benefit. Same for the house he lives in at Bourdillon. If it was a former PDP governor that did this and APC came in, would they not have revoked such crazy arrangement?
What of some shocking acquisition of lands, properties and then the mind boggling activities of Alpha Beta and Hitech Construction milking Lagos dry? Like I said, we knew these things. It was their magnitude that shocked someone like me. Having said this, this is exactly where my grouse with APC is.
They keep shouting change but YOU CAN NEVER CURE ME OF AN AILMENT THAT IS RAVAGING YOUR OWN BODY. PDP is stealing us blind. Jonathan is being attacked mainly on his inability to fight corruption.
He is allowing his friends and Niger Deltane to fleeze us. But those attacking him are much worse in every aspect. Or what is Tinubu doing differently?
They are grabbing and grabbing as if tomorrow will be no more. Haba! Lai Mohammed met with some select editors recently and admitted to them that Tinubu and Amaechi are the major sponsors of Buhari. How can this saint Buhari be claiming to be change agent to help us kill corruption with these two men as his financiers?
Their major vocation in the last 15 years was being state governors.
The rumor is flying around that the federal government wants to ground the APC presidential campaign by freezing the account of Tinubu and Amaechi; a direct admission of these two being rich enough to fund a presidential campaign.
WHERE DID THEY GET THE MONEY? WHAT MORAL RIGHT TO ACCUSE ANOTHER ONE OF CORRUPTION? I used to think only saints are in APC! But hypocrisy is APC’s number one disease.
Finally, I learnt Tinubu is threatening to sue AIT. He won’t be short of SANs to help him. Eight of them did when Conduct Bureau charged him.
Apart from legal fees, they all got a brand new Toyota Camry 2013 model. I knew the day that brand new Toyota Camry 2013 model were delivered to the office of a prominent Human rights activist.
EIGHT units of that car were bought same day each valued at N8m then. Their cocoa don ripe again. Only this time, it is empty threat! He CANNOT.
Those who did research on that documentary have their facts. He has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC. That is a face saving move. But court? I pray he does.
Then he will know the limit of propaganda; especially using the media to ACCUSE SOMEONE OF WHAT IS YOUR OWN WAY OF LIFE.
 Credit: Opinionriver.com

AIT replies Tinubu's lawsuit threat, demands apology&N100 billion In damages.

‎It’s (un) officially the season of lawsuits in Nigeria. The latest plaintiff being renowned media outfit, Daar Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT) and defendant, ex Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The lawsuit is coming few days after the APC chieftain threatened to sue DAAR Communications in tune of N200bn for damages for airing a documentary titled  “Unmasking the real Tinubu”.
AIT has also demanded apology&N100 billion In damages. 
Daar Communications Plc has reacted and rejected in their entirety the demands of Tunji Abayomi and co on behalf of Bola Tinubu over a documentary titled “Unmasking The Real Tinubu” transmitted on African Independent Television, AIT, according to a publication on its website.
The demands, which Mike Ozekhome’s chambers describe as laughable, include the stoppage of further transmission of the alleged defamatory documentary, failure which Daar communications will be made to pay twenty billion Naira representing damages.
In its reaction, Mike Ozekhome’s chambers on behalf of DAAR communications declares that AIT, in transmitting the documentary was only carrying out its constitutional responsibility to uphold the fundamental objectives of the constitution.

It states further that the documentary merely stated that Bola Tinubu generally breached various portions of the Nigerian constitution.

DAAR communications plc is therefore demanding a complete withdrawal of the letter under reference, which must be given wide publicity as that accorded the letter from the chambers of Tunji Abayomi.

The media company demands an apology to be published in at least four leading national newspapers and four television stations, which must include NTA, Channels and AIT.

The sum of one hundred billion Naira representing aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages for the irreparable injury inflicted on AIT is also being demanded.‎”

Tinubu sues AIT for N20bn

APC Chieftain and ex Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sued renowned broadcast media outfit, African Independent Television (AIT) for publishing a ‎false and malicious documentary titled, ‘Unmasking The Real Tinubu” yesterday, March 1st, 2015 at about 11pm.
A press release from Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s media office reads.

All Progressives Congress National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to sue the management of the Daar Communications Limited, owners of the Africa Independent Television, AIT for the defamatory content of a documentary aired on Sunday.

Counsel to Asiwaju Tinubu, Tunji Abayomi, said a letter asking Daar Communications to apologize for the content and stop further airing was delivered this afternoon.

” … You aired an hour long documentary focussing on our client (Bola Tinubu). Clearly pre-occupied with political resentment and hatred neither warranted, necessary, proper, or justified, you published several false allegations against our client…More disturbing is your misrepresentation that the said documentary was “sponsored” without disclosing the “sponsors”.

 You cannot under law, hide under media freedom to maliciously injure a citizen’s reputation”.
The letter also demanded for N20billion (Twenty Billion Naira) as cost of damage done to the reputation of its client failing which the client will sue the company.

“…to affirm the right of our client against your defamatory publication, we demand that you confirm to us within 24 hours of receipt of this letter, an apology and retraction of the said publication/documentary.”
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