Wole Soyinka Withdraws Osinbajo Award Nomination Over Sowore’s Detention

THE Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ)
says it has withdrawn the presentation of award to Vice President,
Yemi Osinbajo.
The WSCIJ on Monday announced that it has postponed the
presentation of award to the Vice President.

This followed protest by Nigerians on the social media against
the choice of the Vice President for the award after the government
is part of has been found to be violating human rights.

Osinbajo was slated to be presented with an Integrity award as
part of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting
holding on Monday night in Lagos coinciding with the World
Anti-Corruption Day.

But Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director of WSCIJ explained
Monday morning that the withdrawal was a step taken to align with
protests against the Department of State Services (DSS) over the
unlawful detention of convener of #RevolutionNow and publisher of
Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore on Friday and the repression of
freedom of speech.

“The Vice President himself shares this awareness and the
inappropriateness of the award at this point,” Alaka wrote in a
Twitter message announcing the postponement of the conferment of
the award.

Alaka, however, noted that the award ceremony will hold and
every other awardee shall be awarded except Osinbajo.

Social media users had protested against the Vice president’s
involvement and seeming silence on issues bordering on freedom of
speech and disregard of rule of law under the current
administration.

DSS invaded the Federal High Court on Friday to rearrest Sowore
despite court order has been granted for the activist’s
release.

Currently, Sowore is still being held in detention at the DSS
headquarters against the order of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the
Federal High court, Abuja.