The Presidency has denied a
report by Sahara Reporters on Sunday, September 3, which claimed President
Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja on Monday, September 4, 2017 for a trip to
Washington, DC.
The online news platform had said in its report that the trip from Nigeria to the US is reportedly at the invitation of President Donald Trump.
The online news platform had said in its report that the trip from Nigeria to the US is reportedly at the invitation of President Donald Trump.
But President Buhari's personal assistant on social media, Lauretta Onochie in a tweet said the report was totally untrue.
It's not true that @NGRPresident @MBuhari is Set For a USA Trip tomorrow, Monday 4/9/2017. Pres Buhari always informs Nigerians of his trips pic.twitter.com/wzQ6TyWywB— Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) September 3, 2017
Earlier, Nigerian Eye reported
that online news platform, Sahara Reporters, said a Nigerian presidency source
stated that Trump extended the invitation last February, shortly after his
inauguration.
The media house also reports that
Buhari is scheduled to leave his hometown, Daura, by helicopter at 9:15 am on
Monday, September 4, for Katsina airport.
From the airport, he will fly out at 10 am aboard a presidential jet to Washington, DC.
Also, Minister of Information and
Culture, Lai Mohammed this afternoon released a statement saying the news of
President Buhari traveling to the US, which has been credited to him, is fake.
In the statement released by his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi, Lai
Mohammed, said a parody twitter created in his name was used to disseminate the
information that President Buhari was traveling to the US to condole with President Trump
over the recent Texas flood. Lai Mohammed said Nigerians should disregard this
news as it is fake. Read the statement below
The Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has urged Nigerians to disregard the fake news
being circulated via a parody Twitter account and an old NTA news video that
President Muhammadu Buhari is traveling or has traveled to the US.
In a statement issued in Lagos on
Sunday, the Minister said one of the numerous parody Twitter accounts in his
name, @MohammedLai, was used to disseminate the fake and ludicrous news
that claims that President Buhari is due to leave Nigeria for the USA on
Monday ''to condole with President Trump over the floods in Houston''.
Also, he said, an old NTA News
video being circulated on the Social Media claims that President Buhari has
already left for the UN General Assembly in New York.
''This is a 2015 NTA News video
that was repackaged to look current, and to give the impression that the
President left Daura, where he is celebrating Eid-el-Kabir, directly for New
York,'' Alhaji Mohammed said.
He said Nigerians should
disregard any news credited to any account in his name, either on Twitter or
Facebook, adding: ''Numerous parody accounts have been opened in my name on the
two platforms, when indeed I have no Twitter or Facebook accounts.''
The Minister recalled how the
same parody Twitter account used to disseminate the fake news about the
President's purported trip was employed to circulate a fake report that he
sharply criticized Senator Dino Melaye for attending the Notting Hill Carnival
in the UK.
He said these two instances
highlight the dangers posed to the polity by the purveyors of fake news and
disinformation, and vowed that the Federal Government would soon fish out those
behind the shenanigans.
''Fake news, disinformation and
hate speech are the antics of the naysayers, those who are pathologically
opposed to this Administration. That is why we are urging Nigerians to be more
discerning and to double check any information emanating from the Social
Media,'' Alhaji Mohammed said.
It may still be true considering APC and their many lies.
ReplyDeleteEwu Igbo, your hatred for your country can never bring Biafra.keep hating APC, don't make use of your life and become important to your family. Keep blaming APC for your misfortune.
DeleteSo why would Sahara lies, Mrs Onochie, I am beginning to fear people
ReplyDeleteBecause you prefer lies that's why Sahara is lying to you. The only thing you want to hear is lies against your President. Ewu Igbo.
DeleteWho cares whether it's lie or not,if your travelling will better the country,oyaa keep travelling ..let the country change for good.
ReplyDelete