Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director-General, warns against the misuse of her name in political battles, refuting false social media claims about Nigeria's debt. She emphasized that attributed statements are fake and urged vigilance against misinformation.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, has warned against the misuse of her name in political battles. This follows a false claim on social media that Nigeria's debt had risen to N24 trillion within two months and attributed this statement to her. The post alleged that Okonjo-Iweala had offered advice to the Nigerian government, which was supposedly ignored.
In response, Okonjo-Iweala took to X (formerly Twitter) to refute the claims, emphasizing that the quoted remarks were fake. She stated, "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. 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!"
The reaction from Nigerians was swift and varied. Social media users expressed support for Okonjo-Iweala's stance against the misuse of her name. One user commented that the ruling party thinks governance is by propaganda, while another thanked Okonjo-Iweala for ensuring her image is not used to carry out propaganda.
Others called for accountability, asking for the handle that posted the false information to be revealed so they could be called out. Some praised Okonjo-Iweala for her proactive approach in defending her image, admiring her efforts to refute the false claims.
However, the issue also sparked partisan debate, with some users blaming the ruling party and others accusing opposition supporters. Criticisms were directed at both the ruling party's supporters and opposition figures for spreading misinformation.
