An elder statesman and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has announced a $1,000 reward for anyone who can expose the author (s) of fake news recently credited to him.
Professor Soyinka said, at an Arise TV programme today, April 5, that such fake news is capable of stoking violence and endangering the nation’s democracy.
The noble laureate condemned false news attributed to him by some media platforms, saying: “I also want to use this opportunity, if you don’t mind, to warn your audience: Please beware of fake news. A lot of damage is being done by the propagation of fake news.
“Even, as recently as a few days ago. Some verbiage, some garbage, some nauseating news, which you’ve seen many times before have resurrected and attributed to Wole Soyinka. It makes me sick. I do not see why that could not be solved.
“In fact, I think it has reached a stage I’m going to go further. I want to use this opportunity now to announce a reward. I’m not a rich man, but I’m going to announce a reward.
“I look at my account and can afford a thousand dollars to anyone who can finger successfully the author of some of the tracts that are attributed to me over the past six months.
“We have repudiated again and again. Other people (would) come out to say Wole Soyinka never said this. There are some who want to believe it and there are those who have some tractions.
“So, permit me to use you as my advertising board to place a thousand dollars on those (peddling fake news about me).
“I will even go further to raise additional funds for anyone who can please relieve us of false attribution of fake news.”
