In a swift response to recent rumours, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), refuted claims that she had received threats following her meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. Through a statement released by her Media Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, Okonjo-Iweala dismissed the allegations as false and clarified that the statement in question did not originate from her.
The circulating statement had falsely attributed to Okonjo-Iweala’s concerns about threats she purportedly faced after her visit to President Tinubu. The content of the viral message highlighted her surprise and dismay at the tone and content of the alleged threats, supposedly from individuals she highly respects.
The statement questioned the decline of discourse in Nigeria, where a visit intended for the betterment of the nation could be manipulated to generate threats against her and her family.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala clarified that her visit to President Tinubu on Tuesday was informal and not conducted in her official capacity as the Director-General of the WTO. The debunking of the false statement underscores the importance of verifying information before drawing conclusions and highlights the challenges posed by the spread of misinformation in today’s digital age.
