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Overview of Key Issues in the Pre-Election Period for the June 18, 2022 Ekiti State Governorship Election (Pre-Election Press Statement)
The first of two off cycle governorship elections for 2022 will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State, on June 18, 2022. The election is the seventh in the state since the return of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. Following a 2010 Court of Appeal verdict, which removed then Governor Segun Oni, and declared Dr. Kayode Fayemi the rightful winner of the 2007 governorship election, Ekiti became one of several states holding off cycle governorship elections. The June 18, 2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election is the very first to be conducted under the amended Electoral Act, 2022.As voters in Ekiti State head to the polls for tomorrow’s governorship election, the contest is apparently shaping up to be a three horse race involving the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which has clearly emerged as a third force in the election. CDD observes that there are 16 political parties fielding candidates for the election. Only two candidates and seven deputy governorship candidates are women, just as the age range of the candidates indicate low participation of the youth.
The CDD EAC will be closely observing the electoral process with the objective of collecting data to support evidence-based analysis of key aspects of the Ekiti State governorship election. The CDD EAC will also host a fake news hub for the purpose of tracking and countering fake news and misinformation as it affects the election.
Pre-Election Observations
Based on the observation of the CDD EAC in the pre-election period, the following are the key trends, which have underlined the process.
CDD notes that the June 18, 2022 Ekiti State Governorship election is significant because it will serve as the first dress rehearsal as the INEC prepares for the 2023 general elections. The election will also be the first to be conducted under the Electoral Act, 2022, and the new INEC guidelines and regulations for conduct of elections. CDD EAC further notes that although INEC has made commitments to conduct a credible election in Ekiti State, its success in this regard would depend on its neutrality, professionalism and the level of its understanding and commitment to the new legal framework. The credibility of the process would also depend on how well INEC uses some of its new powers as derived from the extant electoral law, especially the power conferred on the Commission to delay the release of election results, if the Commission needs to take a second look.
The CDD EAC is concerned about violence, money politics and violations of incumbency powers and the possible effects of these on the credibility of the election. CDD EAC notes that Ekiti State, has recorded several incidents of violence during previous elections. In the build up to the 2022 governorship election, pockets of election-related violence have been recorded in places like Ado Ekiti, Efon Alaiye, Oye, Ido/Osi and Oye Ekiti. Other observable issues, which would shape the credibility of the election include; how well INEC is able to effectively deploy technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), impartial security provisioning, the quality of results management, curtailing the role of money, incumbency and god fatherism in the election. Also critical is the need for stakeholders in the election to proactively track, and counter fake news and misinformation. Already, the pre-election period has witnessed the spread of fake news capable of undermining voter confidence and participation in the process. An example is the fake news which trended recently on a purported Appeal Court decision nullifying the primaries of one of the major political parties and, by extension, its candidate.
In terms of some of the election risk factor, CDD notes that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) has crippled the local economy especially in university towns in Ekiti State. This has created a threat in terms of the availability of idle youth being recruited for activities, which could undermine the credibility of the election. By grounding the local economy, the strike has also created the wrong incentives as voters are more likely to see the election as an opportunity for economic survival, thereby exacerbating the risk of vote buying. This becomes even more relevant when it is considered that Ekiti State introduced the issue of “stomach infrastructure” into the Nigerian political lexicon. CDD has also observed that based on history of past violence in elections in the state, the following Local Government Areas, constitute potential flash points in the election; Ado Ekiti, Efon Alaiye, Ido/Osi, and Oye.
Signed:
Professor Adele Jinadu
Chair, CDD EAC
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FACT CHECK: Did Trump reprimand Nigerians for protesting against Tinubu?
A video that appears to be of former US President Donald Trump is making the rounds across social media platforms.
The video showed Donald Trump chastising Nigerians for protesting their country’s situation. He said, “You Nigerians are so ridiculous, Tinubu has been in office barely 10 months working his tail off, and all you people do is whine and whine. You are lucky that it is not me that is your president. I will have the whole bunch of you locked up in prison.”
The video, shared by an X user, was captioned “DONALD TRUMP on TINUBU 😂🤣😂 If I were TINUBU, I will have the whole bunch of you complaining luckd up in PRISON! Abeg PBAT continue your job, we no dey make noise again
We are not hungry again before you go follow Donald Trump’s advice o 🤭
Biko, we beg u”
As of the time of writing this report, it had been shared over 300 times and viewed over 84,000 times on Twitter and other platforms, including Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Supporters of Tinubu appeared to have shared the video, implying their implicit disapproval of the social media criticisms directed at Tinubu’s administration by Nigerians.
Expressions of discontent with the nation’s security challenges and the economic woes facing citizens have been constant. In February 2024, protests were held simultaneously across the country, and demands were made for the president to address the hardships and state of the nation.
Claim: Did Trump reprimand Nigerians for protesting against Tinubu?
Verification
The CDD War Room examined the video and discovered some discrepancies. The audio was found to be out of sync with Trump’s mouth movement, which is one of the features to look for when examining manipulated videos.
It was also discovered that the watermark on the video says “made with TryParrotAi.com.” TryParrot is a text-to-speech celebrity voice generator that users can adapt to make entertaining videos. Users can choose celebrities from a pre-loaded library and input any text they want to have converted into voice, and the app generates such voices.
The CDD War Room discovered that other videos, unrelated to the one in which Trump discussed Tinubu and Nigerians, had been made using the footage.
Verdict: FALSE
The video is manipulated. It is an artificial intelligence generated video, which unsuspecting social media users could pass off as true.
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FACT CHECK: Edo APC guber candidate, Okpebholo has sponsored no bill as a Senator?
Ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Edo state, a broadcast message is circulating on WhatsApp, claiming that Monday Okpebholo, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has sponsored no bill on the floor of the 10th Nigerian Senate.
Okpebholo, who represents Edo central senatorial district at the Red Chamber following his emergence at the 2023 general elections, clinched the Edo APC guber ticket at the end of the party’s rerun primary election held in February 2024.
The supplementary election was conducted after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) declared the initial primary inconclusive following the emergence of two parallel candidates.
Screenshot of the WhatsApp text Claim: Edo APC guber candidate, Okpebholo has sponsored no bill as a Senator
Verification
The CDD War Room checked the official website of the National Assembly where we found a document from the Senate bills department, showing the progression of sponsored bills on the floor of the Chamber from June 2023 to June 2027.
The document, dated Wednesday, February 7, 2024, shows the bills progression chart with the names of Senators who have sponsored bills and the status of the bills.
According to the document, Monday Okpebholo sponsored a bill titled “Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023” which was first read on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
A more recent version of the bills progression chart, dated Thursday, March 14, 2024, shows that the bill was yet to be read the second time as seen on page 14 of the document.
Verdict: FALSE
The CDD War Room confirms that Monday Okpebholo, who represents Edo central senatorial district at the Nigerian Senate, had a sponsored bill according to the Senate bills progression chart.
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FACT CHECK: Did Federal Government release list of individuals and BDCs sponsoring terrorism?
On March 20, 2024, a broadcast message went viral on WhatsApp titled “FULL LIST: FG Releases Names, BDCs Sponsoring Terrorists”
The content of the broadcast message includes nine names of individuals and six corporate entities said to be Bureau de Change firms.
Claim: Did the Federal Government Release Names and BDCs Sponsoring Terrorists?
Verification:
The CDD War Room can confirm that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024. One of the outcomes of the meeting was that specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their alleged involvement in terrorism financing. The Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has therefore designated the individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria sanctions list.
The CDD War Room found two documents with the subject “Implementation of Designation of Subjects linked to Terrorism Financing and Listing of Same on the Nigerian List,” and “Designation and Native Summary of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
This document was released by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). The document listed the names of nine individuals and six corporate entities.
CDD War Room findings show that the first person on the list, Tukur Mamu, is currently being prosecuted by the Federal Government for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.
Verdict: TRUE
The CDD War Room can confirm that the NFIU released two documents at the end of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee meeting on March 18, 2024. We found that the widely circulated list of individuals and corporate entities allegedly financing terrorism in Nigeria is true.
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FACT CHECK: Is Peter Obi the first Nigerian presidential candidate to publicly give account of his election campaign funds?
On February 15, 2024, a claim went viral on WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter) that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour party in the 2023 general elections, was the first ever presidential candidate in the history of Nigerian democracy to publicly give account for his campaign funding.
The post garnered over 353,000 views, 17,000 likes, and more than 5,600 reposts.
Claim: Is Peter Obi the first Nigerian presidential candidate to publicly give account of his election campaign funds?
Verification:
The transparency of political party and election campaign finance is central to a vibrant and sustainable democracy. The Electoral Act requires political parties to provide their annual financial reports to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure elections are not unduly monetized.
CDD War Room found out that on April 7, 2019, the Presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore, disclosed the account of the funds solicited from the public for his campaign activities. According to the Sowore 2019 Campaign Organisation report, the party spent a total of N157,884,936.98 for its campaign activities for Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election. The campaign, which spanned 50 weeks and cut across 36 states in over 15 countries, detailed its expenses to include townhall rentals, which gulped N9.8 million for event centres and N3.2 million for accessories.
Similarly, on June 20, 2023, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate also gave a breakdown of his party’s campaign expenses during the 2023 general elections, where he was also the party’s presidential candidate. According to the report, Sowore made this in a statement released by the Sowore Political Action Committee (SPAC) while urging other presidential candidates to do the same.
Further findings revealed that on February 7, 2019, former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili, released her campaign finance breakdown. The document showed the income and expenditure between October 1, 2018, and February 2, 2019. Despite pulling out of the presidential race about a month before the polls, Ezekwesili spent about N48 million in a space of five months for the 2019 presidential campaign.
The breakdown published on Ezekwesili’s campaign website showed she raised N48,957,416.00, $17,645.00, and £200 between October 1, 2018, and February 2, 2019. During that period, the campaign spent over N12 million on travels, N10.6 million on media and publicity, and another N15.3 million on “campaign mobilisation fees, meetings and logistics costs.” The printing of campaign posters and other materials cost the campaign a total N 1,222,920.00, the breakdown shows. Ezekwesili said N2,435,609.81, $12,634.50, £200.00 are left in the campaign bank account.
Verdict: False
The CDD War Room confirm that the claim that Peter Obi is the first presidential candidate to publicly give an account of his campaign finances is false, Omoyele Sowore, the AAC presidential candidate, and Oby Ezekwesili, the ACPN presidential candidate, had communicated with the public about their campaign finances.
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FACT CHECK: Did an Enugu boy build a hydro metallic bomb as claimed by Igbo Times Magazine?
A claim by Igbo Times Magazine, a media-categorised by the War Room as a ‘bad actor’ in terms of penchant for peddling disinformation suggested that an Igbo boy from Enugu state built a metallic bomb.
According to the online media, the metallic bomb could destroy 7 armoured tanks simultaneously, surpassing the Russian MG4 Missile.
While the news report by Igbo Times did not include the name or image of the said child, subsequent reports by other social media blog posts included an image of a boy wearing school uniform, speaking on a podium.
Verification
To authenticate the claim, CDD War Room combed through reports by reputable media organisations. We found that the story did not appear on any other site except those previously flagged as bad actors by the War Room.
Further verification included a reverse image of the photo used by two Facebook pages, Qua Lity news and Biafra Network News.CDD War Room found the image to be that of Harry Acheampong, Interim Children’s Parliament Prime Minister (PM). Harry Acheampong is an 11-year-old British Ghanaian who is the first Children’s Parliament PM. According to black history month’s website, the Children’s Parliament serves as a platform which empowers young voices and fosters discussions on critical issues.
The image used was taken by Jonathan Buckmaster and was published on Express, June 27, 2023.
Verdict: FALSE -
FACT CHECK: Were 50 Young People Killed in Igbomotoru?
News information circulating on WhatsApp has caught the attention of the CDD War Room. The report, which included graphic images, claimed that the military murdered more than 50 young people in the Igbomotoru community of Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State.
The report, attributed to “Hot News Reporters,” also stated that the attacks were linked to the killings of military personnel in Delta State’s Okuama community.
The CDD War Room discovered that the “breaking news” was initially shared by an X user who claimed that the community had been rendered inaccessible to media coverage. Since then, the picture has been circulated throughout the nation’s media and blogs.
What happened in Okuama?
The Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State’s Bomadi LGA have been embroiled in an age-long land-related conflict that resurfaced in January 2024, and which resulted in fatalities, kidnappings, and injuries.
On March 14, 2024, there was a new round of violence between the communities, with three people reportedly killed.
Troops from the 181 Amphibious Battalion stationed in Bomadi LGA’s were dispatched to de-escalate the situation. While responding to the distress call, at least 16 military personnel were surrounded by enraged youths in the community, viciously attacked, and brutally killed.
Another report, however, stated that the army came into the community for peace talks, which had begun on a good note, as the soldiers were said to have been welcomed and entertained in the town hall. It became problematic when they requested that the community leaders come with them; the people refused, and it reportedly became violent.
There was outrage against and strong condemnation of the killing of the military men. According to a statement released by the State House, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called the attack a direct attack on the nation and stated that the Defence Headquarters and the Chief of Defence Staff have been given full authority to pursue and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Following the incident, residents of the Okuama community fled in fear of reprisal attacks. In their statement, the army claimed that the attack was communally planned, but they also assured the community that there would be no reprisal attacks and that law-abiding citizens would not be harmed in the process of ensuring justice.
On March 15, it was reported that the military had surrounded the community and set fire to many homes. Some residents claimed that at least 50 people had been killed in the community.
The military, on the other hand, denied involvement in the razing of houses in the community and suggested, through its director of media operations, Edward Buba, that the attacks were most likely carried out by the rival Okoloba community.
What about Igbomotoru?
On March 18, 2024, reports of military attacks on the Igbomotoru community of Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa State surfaced online. According to reports, the military led the charge in razing buildings. It has been suggested that this raid has something to do with the events in Okuama.
The army is said to have been able to locate and apprehend the criminal suspects, some of whom were thought to have escaped to nearby states, including Igbomotoru Bayelsa State.
CDD War Room was privy to information, through a source resident in the region, that a militant leader who was allegedly “contracted” to attack one of the communities is actually from Igbomotoru.
Troops from the Nigerian army stormed the community, shooting sporadically and razing three houses suspected of being the hideout of the militant leader, also suspected to be involved in the killings of military personnel. As of the time of this report, 11 people had been confirmed dead, with many more unaccounted for.
It is worth noting that although Igbomotoru and Okuama are in different states, they are connected by a river.
Verdict: All we know.
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FACT CHECK: How true is claim that military uploaded video of a community razed by soldiers?
Over the weekend, various accounts accused the Nigerian Military of uploading a video of soldiers burning down a community where some of their colleagues were killed as well as posting cryptic message “the audacity” via one of it’s Twitter (X) account.
The various allegations emerged as a result of the killing of a Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 soldiers of 181 Amphibious Battalion by yet to be identified assailants in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta state.
The incident has since sparked various reactions.
Claim1: Did the Military Tweet cryptic message, ‘The Audacity’ over the weekend?
VerificationCDD War Room combed through the various twitter handles of the Nigerian Military and found that one of the military’s official handle the Defence HQ Nigeria had on Sunday at 10:55am Tweeted the word “Audacity” attached with a black heart emoji. While the tweet was a standalone, it came in the heat of controversies surrounding the military killings and retaliation.
The tweet by the Defence HQ has been since deleted.
Verdict: True
Claim 2: Did the Military post a video of soldiers burning down a community in Delta?
The claim also suggested that the military uploaded a video of a community being burnt down by soldiers. The claim further inferred that the tweet has been deleted.
CDD War Room found an old unrelated video being peddled to make the claim; it did not emanate from the military. An online publisher who had earlier circulated the video, later apologized for doing so. The said video was not circulated by the Nigerian military as claimed.
Verdict: FALSE
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FACT CHECK: Has Asue Ighodalo been disqualified as PDP governorship candidate in Edo State?
On March 4, 2023, an X user (formerly Twitter) tweeted that Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been disqualified. He added that Philip Shuaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State and a governorship aspirant of the PDP, has been declared the candidate of the PDP in Edo State.
As of the time of this report, the tweet has garnered over 4,000 views.
Claim: Asue Ighodalo has been disqualified, and Philip Shuaibu has been declared the PDP gubernatorial candidate for Edo State
Verification:
On February 22, 2024, the PDP declared Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the PDP gubernatorial primary election. According to Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara and the returning officer of the primary election, Ighodalo scored 577 votes, followed by his closest rival, Philip Shuaibu, who scored 1 vote. The election recorded a total of 10 aspirants.
However, the Philip Shuaibu-led faction conducted a parallel primary election in Shuaibu’s home. The delegates were allegedly denied entry to the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium and they had to conduct the primary election in Shuaibu’s residence. After the parallel primary election, Bartholomew Moses, the returning officer declared Shuaibu as the PDP candidate.
In a similar vein, the PDP presented the certificate of return to Ighodalo at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja. While presenting the report, the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, said “The PDP is one and that the party organized and recognized only the primary election which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin and produced Ighodalo as its candidate.”
Since the presentation of the certificate of return to Ighodalo, several events have occurred in the political landscape in Edo state. The House of Assembly has issued an impeachment notice to the deputy governor, Philip Shuaibu. Findings by CDD War Room indicate that Asue Ighodalo remains the recognized candidate of the PDP and will fly the PDP flag in the September 2024 election.
Verdict:FALSE
The CDD War Room can confirm that Asue Ighodalo remains the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has not been disqualified. We can confirm that the party did not issue a certificate of return to Philip Shuaibu and he is not recognized as the candidate of the PDP.
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FACT CHECK: Are these claims regarding Putin and Africa true?
A Tiktok account with over 100 thousand likes and 17 thousand followers made a reaction video in which certain statements were made regarding the bilateral relationship between Russia and African countries. In the video, the claim was made that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has issued visa free entrance to anyone who is in possession of any African passport. It was also claimed that Putin has issued wages to every African man who wants to join the Russian Army and that all they have to do is go to the Russian Embassy at their location, and a private jet will be sent to pick them up and drop them off in Moscow.
The video, as of the time of this report, has received over sixty thousand likes and has been replied to by over seven thousand people, many of whom have the impression that it is true.
A popular Nigerian immigration blogger with over 26 thousand followers, who provides news and information about immigration opportunities primarily in Canada, reposted the video on Instagram with the caption “Hmmmm, what do you think?”
Claim 1: Is it true that Putin has issued a visa-free entrance and passport waiver to anyone in possession of any African nation’s passport—whether as a tourist, a resident, or a student—and to every African who wants to travel to Russia?
Verification
In verifying this claim, the CDD War Room examined the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and did not find any information regarding the issuance of visa-free entrance to everyone in possession of an African passport.
We, however, found that in September 2023, the Russian news agency (Tass) reported that Oleg Ozerov, the Russian foreign ministry ambassador-at-large, stated that Russia has set the stage for a visa-free regime with six African countries and that the agreement will be finalised as a matter of negotiation. He also stated that Russia had concluded visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic passports with 32 states in Africa.
At the moment, of the 59 countries that are visa free entry to Russia, only three are African countries.
Verdict: False.
Russia is not visa-free for everyone in possession of an African passport.
Claim 2: Is it true that the requirement for any African to join the Russian army is just to go to the Russian Embassy in their country, and a private jet will be sent to pick them up and take them straight to Moscow? Are they also allowed to travel with every immediate member of their family and are entitled to immediate citizenship?
Verification
In verifying this claim, CDD War Room found that there was no credible announcement or information regarding the enlistment of Africans into the Russian army from their home countries. There was, however, news regarding the enlistment of foreign immigrants in Russia into the army.
In September 2023, in the middle of ongoing war with Ukraine, the Russian government announced a fast track pathway to obtaining Russian citizenship, which involved active participation in the war with Ukraine. It was reported that a presidential decree stated that immigrants who signed a contract for at least a year and took part in active hostilities for at least six months were allowed to apply for citizenship without demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Russian or the fact that they’d lived in the country for five straight years under a residency permit. Spouses and children were also eligible to apply. Authorities were obligated to decide on such applications within three months. This means that enlisting in the Russian army will help to bypass the usually stringent requirements for obtaining citizenship.
In January 2024, it was also reported that a new decree made the pathway to citizenship even quicker. The decree states that a decision on such applications shouldn’t take more than a month, instead of three. It also states that the relatives of applicants will be able to apply for citizenship.
Verdict
Misleading.
The existing pathway to Russian citizenship is for immigrants who are already in Russia, not for African nationals who are in their home countries.
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FACT-CHECK: Did accountant-general’s office hold workshop for state commissioners of finance in UK?
CDD War Room received a claim on WhatsApp, stating that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) organised a workshop for state commissioners of finance in the United Kingdom.
This is coming amid the foreign exchange crisis which has raised concerns from Nigerians. Nigerians have also lamented about rising prices of food items in the country. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed in February, when he appeared before the House of Representatives, that the foreign exchange market was facing increased demand pressures. He said that had led to a continuous decline in the value of the Naira.
According to Cardoso, Nigerians spent $98bn in 10 years on foreign education, healthcare and personal travels, which had impacted the country’s currency.
Claim: Accountant-general’s office held a workshop for state commissioners of finance in the United Kingdom
VerificationWe checked and found that the accountant-general’s office organised a workshop on financial management and international public sector accounting standards (IPSAS) in London, the United Kingdom.
TheCable reported that the event titled “Public Financial Management and IPSAS Workshop for State Commissioners of Finance and Officials of OAGF”, was held at Copthorne Tara Hotel from March 4 to March 9, 2024.
Speaking on why the workshop was held in London, Bawa Mokwa, who is the director of press at the accountant general’s office, explained that it was not a one-off meeting as it is an annual event.
While Mokwa noted that the National Economic Council (NEC) approved the workshop, he said, “They usually go to the UK to do it annually because the resource persons are resident in the UK and they implement it to the letter.”
Verdict: TRUE
The CDD War Room can confirm that the account general’s office held a five-day workshop for its officials and state commissioners of finance in the UK. The event was held from the 4th-9th of March, 2024.
