Professor Wole Soyinka has been honoured with the second highest national honour as Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in recognition of the defining role he played in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. Similarly, Dapo Olorunyomi, WSCIJ’s founder was also conferred with a National Honour by President Bola Tinubu on June 12 during his address to members of the National Assembly to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day.
Olorunyomi was named as a recipient of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) honour in recognition of his fight against military dictatorship and demand for the return of democracy to Nigeria within the journalism space. Dapo Olorunyomi, Bayo Onanuga and Kunle Ajibade are the co-founders of The News Magazine which played an important role in confronting military rule in Nigeria till the return to democracy in 1999. Onanuga was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) while Ajibade received the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) honour.
Other journalists honoured include veteran journalist and publisher of Vanguard newspaper Sam Amuka, who received the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) award and the late investigative journalist Bagauda Kaltho who was killed in a bomb blast at the Durbar Hotel in Kaduna State during the military regime. He received the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award.
