Press Freedom Award: Tinubu, Fayemi, Others Congratulate PREMIUM TIMES' Publisher

The All Progressives Congress’ national leader, Bola Tinubu, has congratulated the publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorumyomi, on his achievement as one of the four awardees for 2020 International Press Freedom Award, by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mr Olorunyomi won the CPJ award along with three other journalists from Bangladesh, Iran and Russia.

They have all been arrested or faced criminal prosecution in reprisal for their reporting, at some point in their career.

In a congratulatory message to the journalism icon, Mr Tinubu, in a statement by his media team, on Monday, said the award serves as evidence of using technology in executing ideal journalism.

“It is significant that Premium Times has harnessed the power of technology in executing its mission by using the website to make facts and opinions available to a global audience that shares the vision of Nigeria as a superpower struggling to manifest her natural potentials,” he said.

He also advised the publisher “to strive harder in his patriotic endeavour to bring power to the people by encouraging the responsible use of freedoms to make Nigeria a country of great pride and promise,”

In the same view, the governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, while congratulating the publisher, said his mentoring to younger journalist in development journalism is needed more.

“While we congratulate Olorunyomi for this honour, the challenge before him now is to commence a deliberate mentoring of younger crop of journalists in development journalism. This he owes our country and his teeming admirers as we pray for his tribe to increase.

He attested to Mr Olorunyomi’s prowess as a first-class Nigerian journalist, who, through a lot of hard work, has built global reputation and set a high standard in investigative and development journalism.