Be circumspect about information you get, Presidency cautions Nigerians

*As The Economist disowns negative publication about Buhari

The Nigeria’s seat of power, Presidency, has counseled Nigerians to be watchful and wary of the kind of information they are exposed to, before having to consider whether to share same with others or not, as it notes that such care is necessary at a time like this when purveyors of fake news abound in the country.

The Presidency, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, sent these words of advice across to the nation on the heels of a letter by Jonathan Rosenthal, the Africa Editor of a London-based magazine, The Economist, which disowned a publication claiming that Nigerians have shown unprecedented level of patience with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The publication has been making the rounds on the social media and on some websites in the country, and beyond.

But Rosenthal, in the letter dated January 18, 2018, denied his magazine ever being responsible for such publication.

The letter reads, “It has come to my attention that an article has been circulating on social media and been published on various websites that purports to have been written or published by The Economist.

“The article with the headline ‘The Unprecedented Level of Patience Shown to Buhari’ was not written nor published by The Economist. Any claims connecting it to The Economist are false.”

In the meantime, the Presidency has told Nigerians “to be very watchful and circumspect about the kind of information they are exposed to, and share, especially in this period when purveyors of fake news abound.”