6th September, 2023
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers government has described DAAR Communications, owners of AIT/RAYPOWER radio and television stations as ungrateful tenants who occupied a free land to operate in the state for over 20 years without paying a dime.
The State government also accused the management of the media outfit of blackmailing the government for taking back a property it acquired unlawfully.
Dr. George Kelly-Alabo, the Rivers State Commissioner for Works said this in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Kelly said:”The building that has been housing the media was given to AIT/Raypower free of charge by the Rivers State government all these years
“That property belongs to the Rivers State government and that property has been given to them pro bono all these years.
“Today, they are blackmailing the Rivers State government who has been so magnanimous to them. This is the height of ingratitude”.
George Kelly pointed out that since DAAR communications occupied the expanse of land, there has never been any documentation on it.
“There is no Certificate of Occupancy(C of O) and the company has never paid any ground rent to the government for over 20 years for using the land.
He also alleged that the mast the media organisation has been using belonged to Rivers State government.
He dismissed the insinuations that the demolition of the structure of the media outfits by Rivers government was influenced by the former Governor Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).
He said the demolition has nothing to do with the Minister.
The Commissioner explained the State government has continuously reminded the Company that the land and the mast are not its property.
According to him, the mast used to belong to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria which handed it over to the state government.
He added that the state in turn gave it to DAAR communications free of charge.
Kelly regretted that the management of DAAR Communication are not sticklers to procedures and documentation.
“When you write them letters, they will not respond. You call them for a meeting they will not respond. When you send them letters sometimes, they refused to pick them and you are compelled to paste it on their gate. How can a responsible organisation be using a state government property for the past 20 years and they’re not paying anything and now they are blackmailing the River State government. Is it right?,” the Commissioner queried.
Our correspondent reports the Rivers State Government on Monday demolished the building housing the transmitter of AIT/Raypower outfits.
The Rivers State government disconnected the transmitter on Sunday.
Speaking to our correspondent, Acting Head of Daar Communications in Port Harcourt, Anthony Ekiko, said the shut down would affect about 85 per cent of its workforce who are drawn from the four host communities of the radio and television stations.
He condemned the state government’s action, saying the latter did not consult the company before carrying out the demolition and called for adherence to the rule of law.
However, the Rivers State House of Assembly had in response to alleged petitions from the four host communities of the media outfit conducted a public hearing into the ownership of the expansive property housing the television and radio stations.
The House of Assembly passed a resolution ordering the state government to takeover the property sitting on 860 plots of land with claim that it was illegally acquired at the end of the public hearing.
However, the South-South Zonal Vice President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Opaka Dokubo, has described the shutdown of the media outfit as unfortunate.
He regretted that many journalists will be out of job while noting that for democracy to thrive, there is need vibrant, independent media like the AIT group.
Rivers government reacts to controversies trailing its demolition of structures housing AIT/ Raypower media outfits of DAAR Communication, owners of AIT/RAYPOWER radio and television stations as ungrateful tenants who occupied a free land to operate in the state for over 20 years without paying a dime.