The Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina has described as
fake, reports that the aircraft in which President Muhammadu Buhari recently
travelled to the United States developed fault mid-air and that the president
escaped narrowly.
Adesina described the reports published on some online
platforms as an example of fake news that has become a major vice and threat to
information dissemination in the country.
“It didn’t happen. I was on that flight. We took off from
New York, went straight to Santa Maria in Portugal where we refuelled. We took
off again and flew straight to Nigeria.
“Where is the mishap? It is a lie it never happened. Do you
know the number of people that have been misled by this fake news?
“Fake news is a problem not only to Nigeria but to the whole
world. The traditional media should be careful of fake news because we must
first have a country before digital media can be useful to us.
“We must not allow digital media to be used to destroy our
country. Digital media is good but there is evil embedded in it.” Adesina said.
The presidential spokesman, who said he has been a victim of
fake news on many occasions, spoke in Abuja on Friday at the public
presentation of a book, “101 fake news on EndSARS,” a publication of PRNigeria,
authored by a journalist, Dahiru Lawal.
Adesina, who cited instances where his views were
misrepresented by purveyors of fake news, expressed disappointment that members
of the Yoruba group, Afenifere allowed themselves to be misled by fake news
about his recent comparison between Buhari and some past political leaders.
He said the traditional media and professional journalists
must be more careful because the digital media appears to be dictating the pace
and the traditional media now rely on them.
Adesina, who noted that fake news was instrumental to the
EndSARS protest and the massive destruction witnessed, said the problem would
be more pronounced as the 2023 general elections draw close.
The presidential spokesman, who urged all to be vigilant, praised
the initiative of those behind the book.
Also speaking, Dr. Umar Jibrila Gwandu, the media aide to
the Attorney General of the Federation AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami, noted that fake news is always intended to cause harm.
Gwandu urged professional journalists not to allow quacks
take the lead and dictate the pace of information dissemination because doing
so will be a disservice to the country.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PRNigeria, Malam Yushau
Shuaib, who reviewed the 207-page book, said it was intended to highlight the
threat fake news poses to societal peace and security.
Shuaib appealed to practising journalists to always
cross-check their facts so that the public confidence in the media would not be
eroded.
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