Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Finance Minister of Nigeria, has categorically disavowed a letter circulating on social media that claimed she had been threatened following her recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
On Tuesday, Okonjo-Iweala paid a visit to President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. This marked the second occasion of their meeting since President Tinubu assumed office on May 29.
Clarifying the nature of her visit, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that her interaction with President Tinubu was not conducted in her official capacity as the WTO Director-General.
Shortly after their meeting, a letter falsely attributed to Okonjo-Iweala began circulating on various social media platforms, particularly on WhatsApp. The letter purportedly expressed her distress over purported “toxic” calls and messages she allegedly received, which criticized her for meeting with the president.
“A visit I made for the good of our dear nation is what they are using to threaten my life and family. You don’t recognise someone as your president yet begging him to save you from the hands of killers in your region,” the viral letter reads.
Reacting to the letter, Okonjo-Iweala, in a Twitter post on Wednesday, said the statement was “falsely designed” to create mischief among Nigerians.
“It has just been brought to my attention that there is a false statement circulating on WhatsApp attributed to me saying that I am being attacked for my visit to President Tinubu,” she wrote.
“That statement circulating is false, in fact wickedly designed to create mischief among Nigerians. Please disregard the statement.”
Okonjo-Iweala’s swift disavowal of the letter underscores the importance of verifying information and the potential consequences of misinformation in today’s digital age. As the respected head of an international organization, her response seeks to maintain the integrity of her role while dispelling any misconceptions surrounding her engagement with Nigerian political figures.