Claim: A viral social media post by Wisdom Wize claims that President Julius Maada Bio has ordered and delivered 100,000 litres of fuel to be distributed across fuel stations nationwide to return fuel prices to Le 8 per litre and ease the ongoing fuel crisis in Sierra Leone.
Verdict: False. The National Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NPRA) of Sierra Leone told DUBAWA that it has no knowledge of any such fuel delivery or presidential directive. We also found no official statement from the government or relevant authorities confirming the reported nationwide distribution of 100,000 litres of fuel.
Full Text
A Facebook post shared by Wizdøm Wizê alleges that Sierra Leone’s President has intervened in the country’s fuel supply by delivering 100,000 litres for nationwide distribution. The post further claims that this action would reduce pump prices to Le 8 per litre and lower transportation costs.
The post was accompanied by an image of a fuel tanker labelled “100,000 Litres” with Sierra Leone’s national colours, giving the impression that the intervention had already taken place.
Given the public interest in fuel shortages and rising transportation costs in Sierra Leone, DUBAWA examined the authenticity of the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA reviewed the viral post and sought clarification from the National Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NPRA) of Sierra Leone, the institution responsible for regulating petroleum supply and pricing in the country.
In a WhatsApp response to DUBAWA, Mr Mohamed Macarthy, the Media and Public Relations Officer at the National Petroleum Regulatory Agency, dismissed the claim, stating: “Fake news. Not to our knowledge, please.”
This means the agency has no record or knowledge of any presidential directive involving the distribution of 100,000 litres of fuel as claimed in the post.
Further checks also found no official announcement from the Office of the President or the National Petroleum Regulation Authority to support the claim.
Additionally, when DUBAWA sought clarification from the claimant to provide proof of his claim, the claimant didn’t respond.
Conclusion
The claim that President Bio ordered and delivered 100,000 litres of fuel to fuel stations across Sierra Leone, hoping that fuel prices would drop to Le 8 per litre is false. The National Petroleum Regulatory Authority told DUBAWA that the information is not true and not known to the agency, making the post another example of misleading information circulating on social media.