Renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi on Thursday made it clear that he has no connection with the alleged list of “new appointees and some new ministers” circulating on social media claiming he is set to serve as a minister under President Bola Tinubu.
Utomi’s Director of Media and Communications, Charles Odibo, issued a statement urging the public to dismiss the unfounded list, asserting that it is completely false.
In the statement, Utomi clarified that this is the second occurrence in less than three months where false news has attempted to link him with the new government.
The statement reads, “We are bringing to public attention a deceptive ‘list of new appointees and some new ministries’ that is currently being shared on social media. It wrongly asserts that Utomi will serve as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s government. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Utomi, who has been abroad for over two months working on his new book, has confirmed that he has had no conversations regarding a governmental appointment.
“He thus encourages Nigerians to disregard the clearly false list associating him with the new Federal Government.
“In March, a statement was released titled ‘President-elect already working to move Nigeria forward’, in which these same propagators of false information outrageously declared that ‘Pat Utomi and Emir Sanusi, were listed to lead the planning for Nigeria’s growth and development’.
“Initially, our instinct was to let this delusional piece of fake news pass unnoticed, not offering its creators the satisfaction of a response. However, considering the quietude that prevails in the nation, we felt it necessary to categorically refute this baseless fake news,” the statement emphasized.
