Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, has denied a fake WhatsApp message circulating in her name. The message falsely claims she endorsed Chief Bola Tinubu’s policies and lauded his leadership.
In a statement released via her official Twitter handle, Okonjo-Iweala expressed her dismay over the fabricated message and clarified that she does not use WhatsApp for broadcasts. She emphasized that any such message attributed to her on the platform is false.
The false message purported to show Okonjo-Iweala praising Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to attract international investors to Nigeria. The text, riddled with grammatical errors, stated, “I am bringing investors to Nigeria using the president’s commendable policies as a bait. Is that too difficult to understand? President Tinubu’s reforms might be harsh now, but they would birth a new and prosperous nation.”
The message also included claims about Okonjo-Iweala’s interactions with various global leaders and institutions, all supposedly congratulating her on Nigeria’s progress. It mentioned, “I have lost count of residents, respected institutions, and investors that have called to congratulate me on Nigeria eventually having a focused leader since the reforms were rolled out. At least six multinational manufacturing giants are coming with me by December later this year to see how their firms can have factories here.”
Okonjo-Iweala swiftly debunked these statements. She expressed gratitude to her friends and supporters who recognized the message as fake and brought it to her attention. “I am pleased that those who know me instantly recognized this as fake. Thanks to friends who brought this to my attention,” she tweeted.
She also issued a warning to those behind the creation and distribution of the false message. “I want to warn those in the business of manufacturing fake messages that they will not succeed.”
Okonjo-Iweala’s swift response aims to curb misinformation and protect her reputation. She reiterated that she only uses verified channels for official communication and does not rely on WhatsApp for disseminating information.
This incident highlights the growing concern over the misuse of social media platforms to spread false information. It serves as a reminder for the public to verify the authenticity of messages before sharing them and to rely on trusted sources for accurate information.
The fake message ends with a dubious statement, “The world has accepted him as our president, like it or not. May God heal us,” which Okonjo-Iweala categorically denied. She clarified that she never made such statements and called for vigilance against such deceptive tactics.
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