The presidency has declared that there are some deliberate attempts to undermine the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project marked upon by the federal government.
According to the Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, some people are deliberately trying to discredit the CNG project by spreading fake news about it.
He noted that such people are creating confusion and fear among Nigerians about the CNG initiative and conversions.
Speaking against the backdrop of a recent road accident in Ebonyi State in which at least five people, unfortunately, got burnt beyond recognition when their bus caught fire along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, Olusegun said some people have been falsely attributing the accident to the use of CNG by the bus.
He, however, clarified that Police confirmation and other credible media platforms have affirmed that the incident had no CNG involvement.
According to the presidential media aide, โFake news purveyors will go to any length to spread misinformation, and we have a duty to resist them.
โJust as the misinformation surrounding the student loan issue was debunked, there are now evident attempts to undermine the CNG project. A recent picture was taken from Linda Ikejiโs blog and used to create confusion and fear among Nigerians about CNG conversions.
โThe story describes a tragic incident:
โAt least five people were burned beyond recognition when a passenger bus caught fire in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The incident occurred along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway near the G-Hostel junction on Thursday night, October 24, 2024.
โThe spokesperson for the State Police Command, Joshua แปคkandu, confirmed the incident, stating that the bus hit obstacles placed by a maintenance team repairing the road, causing it to catch fire.โ
โReports from Premium Times and PM News confirmed the incident, but there was no mention of CNG involvement.โ
While commiserating with all those affected by the accident, Olusegun cautioned those spreading false information about the CNG initiative to desist from such behaviours.
โAs we mourn with the families of the victims, itโs essential for Nigerians to be aware of how certain groups use fake news to stir confusion and distrust in society. This behaviour is both unacceptable and harmful, especially on social media.
โWe pray for the speedy recovery of those still in treatment,โ he concluded.
