PEN International Calls For Release Of Sowore, Jalingo

PEN International, one of the world’s first international non-governmental organisations advocating for human rights, has decried the repression of freedom of expression and shrinking of civic space in Nigeria.

The first worldwide association of writers also called for the release of Omoyele Sowore, Agba Jalingo and all other journalists arrested in the line of duty in Nigeria.

PEN International also called on the Nigerian Government to uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the constitution, by releasing journalists detained for peacefully expressing themselves via their work or activism.

“The detention of journalists such as Agba Jalingo, for what they have written is a worrying indication of the Nigerian authorities’ increasing intolerance of those who criticise the government or raise difficult questions about matters of public interest,” said Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee.

“It is absurd that the authorities are prosecuting him; they should instead investigate the allegations he has raised and promptly release him without charge.

“As well as Jalingo, Omoyele Sowore, a high-profile journalist and publisher of the online news website Sahara Reporters, and a human rights activist, remains in detention in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, despite a court order to release him and having met his bail conditions.

“The DSS has so far refused to release him on bail, despite two court orders to do so – the DSS have ignored a September court order ruling that he should be released pending his trial, and failed to comply with a November court order calling for his release once he had met his bail conditions.

“On November 12, journalists covering protests by activists calling for Sowore’s release outside the DSS headquarters in Abuja, as well as the protesters themselves were reportedly harassed and attacked by DSS officials.

“As a body of writers, we are concerned about the implications for the Nigerian people of these systematic acts of repression.”

ACTIVISM Free Speech Human Rights Journalism News AddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :

from All Content
via

Comments

Nigerian Academy Of Science Inducts First Female President

The Nigerian Academy of Science has inducted a professor of Parasitology/Epidemiology, Ekanem Ikpi Braide, as its 19th President on Thursday. In a statement issued by Oladoyin Odubanjo, the Executive Secretary of the Academy, Braide is the Academy’s first female President in 44 years of existence. It read, “Braide was a member of the national committee that achieved the laudable feat of guinea worm eradication in Nigeria. “She has a rich professional experience as a researcher and an administrator. In July 2010, Professor Braide was honoured by the President of Nigeria with the award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) for her contribution to disease control in Nigeria. “She was nominated by the Honourable Minister of Health to serve in the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Health Sector Response (MEACoC-HSR). “Professor Braide served as Vice-Chancellor, Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) Calabar, Nigeria (2004 to 2009) and as P...

NLNG Signs Letter Of Intent On Delayed Gas Expansion Project

The Nigerian Natural Liquefied Gas LTD has signed a letter of intent for the engineering, procurement and construction of its long held up Train Seven project. In a statement released by the company on Wednesday, it said that the $10bn project will be executed by a consortium of Italian firm Saipem, Japan’s Chiyoda and South Korea’s Daewoo. The statement reads, “The project will form part of the investment of over $10bn including the upstream scope of the LNG value chain, thereby boosting the much needed Foreign Direct Investment profile of Nigeria.” Managing Director of NLNG, Tony Atta, said in 2018 that the Final Investment Decision would be made in the fourth quarter of that year. This did not however, materialize. According to the release, the project will have a four to five-year execution time after the signing of the FID. The project is expected to add an extra 8 million tons per annum of gas to the 22 mtpa currently exported by the company. Oil News AddThis :...

Former Maritime Agency Boss, Buba Galadima, Accuses AMCON Of Witch-hunt After Property Takeover

A former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Agency, Buba Galadima, has accused the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria of witch-hunt after the agency took possession of his business and assets on Tuesday in Abuja. Galadima, an ardent critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed that he did not borrow money or have unpaid debt with Unity Bank, which lodged a complaint against him and occasioned AMCON’s move on Tuesday. The properties taken over include House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2, also in Abuja. Reacting to the situation, Galadima said, “This is an attempt to disgrace and break me down. This is injustice and an attempt to humiliate me. "But I am unbreakable and they can never silence me. They sacked me and over 50 people that sleep in the apartment. "We don’t know where to go. We will remain on the streets. We will remain on the streets until God provi...

EDUPEDIA247

Search This Blog