On October 25, 2023, a news was published by an online news platform, “4 The Advocate”, went viral. According to the headline “Breaking News: Gov. Yahaya Bello Sacks Kogi State Commissioner For Information, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo”
Claim: Kogi governor Yahaya Bello sacks commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo
Verification:
Kingsley Fanwo was confirmed as the commissioner for information and communications in Kogi state for a second term in July 2022, having been confirmed as a commissioner for the first time in January 2020 by the state House of Assembly. He resigned to contest for the House of Representatives seat in Yagba Federal constituency, but lost to Folusho Olafemi. He was, however, renominated as a commissioner by Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi state.
Until he was appointed a commissioner, he had served in various capacities as the chief press secretary to the governor, director-general of media and publicity to the Governor, special adviser on information and communications strategy, and chairman of the Kogi State Information Council.
He doubles as the director general of the Kogi State Campaign Council, directorate of media & publicity.
On October 22, 2023, Fanwo, in his capacity as the commissioner for information and communications, released a statement alleging that the governor escaped an assassination attempt along the Lokoja-Abuja highway.
However, this statement generated mixed reactions as the governor subsequently dismissed the assassination attempt. Yahaya Bello, in a press statement, contradicted his government’s chief spokesperson by stating there was no assassination attempt on him. He added that the issue reported on the Lokoja-Abuja highway was a “fracas” between the security aides attached to his convoy and a sister security agency.
Amidst the news that he had been allegedly sacked, the CDD War Room reached out to the commissioner, and he promptly replied. He dismissed the news as “Nothing like that. Fake news.” At the time of producing this fact check, there has been no communication from the Kogi State Governor’s office indicating that the commissioner had been sacked. CDD War Room also found no credible media reporting the sack of the commissioner.
Verdict: FALSE
The CDD War Room reached out to Kingsley Fanwo, and he dismissed the claim that the governor had sacked him. Hence, he stressed that he remains the commissioner for information and communications for Kogi State.
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