Wike's government issued a 48-hour notice to Daar Communications, owners of the African Independent Television/Raypower to remove its property on the right of way of its proposed housing project in the GRA Phase 5 area of Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The management of African Independent Television, AIT/Raypower Radio, and Daar Communications PLC has told Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to wait for the court ruling before demolishing the building housing the state's media companies.
In a statement, Mrs Remi Olu Akerele, Head of Centre, Daar Communications PLC, Port Harcourt, urged the government to postpone taking any action until after the court's decision was made on the case on April 6, 2023.
Mrs Akerele stated further that if the building was destroyed, the fate and way of life of about 80% of the workforce, who were from the Ozuoba community, the host community in the Obio-Akpor local government area, would be seriously impacted.
SaharaReporters had reported that Governor Wike's government issued a 48-hour notice to Daar Communications, owners of the African Independent Television/Raypower to remove its property on the right of way of its proposed housing project in the GRA Phase 5 area of Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Wike said that failure to remove the property, his government would demolish the transmission station of the AIT and Raypower in Ozuoba, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.
Mrs Akerele, therefore, pleaded that the workers would not be fired in order to protect their welfare and the welfare of their families.
Akerele responded with the statement after receiving a 48-hour demolition notice for the media outlet's building from the Rivers State Ministry of Works.
She claimed, however, that the notice lacked any additional information and was simply pasted on the building's wall.
“It was one of the security guards who saw it and out of curiosity, he brought it to my office. When I saw it, I was surprised that a 48 hours demolition notice was served on us,” she said.
She also noted DAAR Communications had instituted a court action against the Rivers State Government to stop the demolition of the building.
“I just want to appeal to the Governor to have a rethink if not for owners of Daar Communications PLC, but for over 80 percent workforce that are sourced from the locality of Ozuoba host community. We have been in good relationship with them. We have been doing everything humanly possible for the community as a company.”