In a recent development, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has publicly denounced a fake message circulating on WhatsApp that falsely claims to be from her.
Okonjo-Iweala took to social media to clarify that the message is not hers and to express her gratitude to those who recognized it as fake and brought it to her attention.
“I want to make clear that this fake message is not from me,” Okonjo-Iweala stated. She emphasized that she does not use WhatsApp broadcasts, making any such messages purportedly from her entirely false. She thanked friends and supporters who identified the fake message and alerted her to its existence.
Okonjo-Iweala also issued a stern warning to those responsible for creating and spreading such fraudulent messages, asserting that their attempts to deceive the public would not succeed. “This is a bad example of the use of social media,” she remarked, highlighting the negative impact of such misinformation.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of misinformation and the misuse of social media platforms. Okonjo-Iweala’s swift response aims to mitigate any potential confusion and reinforce the importance of verifying the authenticity of information shared online.