The Naked Lies Against Mrs. Zainab S. Ahmad
By Abdullahi D Mohammed
HOTPEN – Experts has recounted, how the pervasiveness of fake or unverifiable news would, and continue to pose a grave danger to both individuals and establishment across the world.
The ubiquitousness of such malaise is palpable, so much that, it has become a ready tool for a political witch-hunt, personal vendetta, and sheer unprovoked mischief.
The potency and intensity of fake news and disinformation have alarmingly reached fever-pitched to warrant a clamp down on perpetrators. This can be done via strict legislation and regulations.
Avoidable wars occurred as a direct response to fake news in Africa and other nations. Some attribute the next World War to the spread and incitement of fake.
The pre-eminence of fake news has got to a point that was regarded as christened Alternative Facts.
It’s no longer news that Nigeria’s Accountant General has been arrested by men of the anti-graft agency, EFCC for allegedly stealing N80 billion. He was accused of owning choice properties in Kano, Abuja, Dubai, and the UK. However, he was subsequently suspended by the federal government, in a statement by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab S Ahmad.
But in an overnight twist, the media was awash with reports of the purported involvement of the Minister. It was alleged that, while in detention, the suspended Accountant General told investigators that he was not the only one involved in the malfeasance. He was said to have mentioned Mrs. Zainab’s name in the fleecing spree. The purported news showed that she owned multiple properties in Lagos, Abuja kaduna, and the UK, and she used her husband as a decoy.
It has become imperative to note, that Mrs. Zainab Ahmad is a shrewd and competent administrator whose capacity and trajectory of excellence in public service have never been questioned.
While serving as chief executive of NEITI, she left behind a legacy of prudence and accountability. If she was not good at her job, she wouldn’t be made a Minister of Budget and National Planning, seeing through her four years without, and now Finance Minister.
Those who felt threatened by the suspension of the Accountant General were behind such attacks on her person. Simply, they’re complicit and had a lot to hide. Such attacks her person is dead on arrival. Instead, it will only spur her to dare and conquer. Never in her public service has she been involved in any malfeasance or unwholesome practice unbecoming of a professional.
With such a coordinated media attack on her person, it proved one thing – she’s doing her job, excellently.
You don’t get threatened for nothing, it goes to show she’s on track, in delivering her mandate of steering the country’s economy on the path of growth and development.
And those quick to judge people, based on newspaper reports, without subjecting such reports to scrutiny should know, that it is as preposterous as it can be. In an era of widespread disinformation — deliberate and unintentional, one has to be cautious and take every news story with a pinch of salt.
Abdullahi is a policy analyst.