Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Warns Against Misuse of Her Name in Political Battles
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and former Nigerian Minister of Finance, has issued a stern warning against the misuse of her name for political purposes.
Okonjo-Iweala’s warning comes in response to a fabricated social media post falsely attributing comments to her about Nigeria’s debt profile. The post claimed that Nigeria’s debt had risen to N24 trillion within two months and included a fabricated quote criticizing the current administration’s handling of fuel subsidies.
In a clear rebuttal posted on her official X account, Okonjo-Iweala denounced the remarks as entirely false. She emphasized that she had never made the statements attributed to her and condemned the actions of those attempting to use her name to further their political agendas.
Her statement reads:
“THIS IS IMPORTANT- It appears that there are people in Nigeria trying to use my name and image on social media to fight battles on different sides of the political divide, putting words in my mouth that I never said. Therefore, I want to alert everyone that the message below is FAKE. This is a stern warning to all those trying to misuse my name for their political ends that I will continue to rebut any attempts to use my name and image falsely!”
This incident underscores the challenges prominent figures face in maintaining the integrity of their public image amid the spread of misinformation on social media platforms. Okonjo-Iweala’s prompt response serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying information and the potential harm of disseminating false statements.
