President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated co-founder and publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, on his being named one of the four awardees for year 2020 International Press Freedom Award, by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said the honour attests to Mr Olorunyomi’s many decades of commitment to the ideals of journalism and freedom of the Press.
According to President Buhari, “Democracy and a free Press are kindred spirits, and that is what we have committed to as a government. It is, therefore, gratifying to hear of this award to one of our own.”
The President enjoined the publisher to use the occasion of the award to recommit himself to all that is noble, fair and just in journalism, adding that a responsible media is part of the building blocks of a country.
He added that a free and responsible Press remains an abiding commitment of the Nigerian government, and urged the media to adhere to the finest tenets of the noble profession at all times.
Mr Olorunyomi won the CPJ award along with three other journalists from Bangladesh, Iran and Russia.
