Demands Urgent Action against Fake News Website
- Safiu Kehinde
The Presidency has fumed over false reports on the alleged sacking of three Ministers.
A publication circulated on Phoenix Browser had yesterday alleged President Bola Tinubu’s sacking of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; Minister of Defense, Badaru Abubakar, as well as the Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle.
As against this claim, a pro-Tinubu diaspora group under the aegis of Renewed Hope United Kingdom had dismissed the report in a post on its official X handle.
The group said the report is completely false, misleading, and devoid of any factual basis.
It maintained that the last cabinet changed occured in October 2024 and did not include any of the aforementioned Ministers.
“This is to inform the general public that the story titled “BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Ministers of Defence and Power”, published by Phoenix Browser, is completely false, misleading, and devoid of any factual basis.
“At no point has President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dismissed the Ministers of Defence or Power. This falsehood, presented as breaking news, is nothing but reckless propaganda designed to misinform the public.
“To set the record straight, the most recent cabinet changes announced in October 2024 did not include the Ministers of Defence or Power.
“Those affected were Ministers of Women Affairs, Tourism, Education, State for Housing and Urban Development, and Youth Development. Furthermore, ten ministers were reassigned, and seven new nominees were presented for Senate confirmation, all of which were officially documented and widely reported by credible media platforms.
“Nigerians are strongly advised to ignore the concocted report by Phoenix Browser. It is fake news, plain and simple, sensationalist hogwash that should be treated with the contempt it deserves.
“Please depend on official government channels and trusted news outlets for accurate and verified information.” The post had read.
Commenting on the post, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also dismissed the report while charging security agencies to take urgent action against fake News website.
Onanuga held that fake new is licentious and must be criminalized.
“Security agencies must urgently take action against fake news websites and platforms and the purveyors who fail to check the authenticity of the stories and make them go viral.
“Press freedom and freedom of speech will not exist when some people can wake up and concoct their news and narratives without regard for truth.
“Fake news is simply licentiousness and must be criminalised.” He wrote.