Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. Photo Credit: For The Love Of Anambra (Facebook page)
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Claim: Bloggers claim that Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State was captured in a viral video berating his commissioner for works, Ifeanyi Okoma, during a recent road inspection.
Verdict: MISLEADING. The man being addressed in the video is Paschal Aniegbuna, the state chairman of Ogbaru LGA.
Full Text
On March 10, 2024, a video surfaced on social media platforms, purportedly showing Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State addressing a government official during a site inspection of a road project. The video, shared by Lindaikejisblog on Instagram and Instablog9ja on Facebook, gained significant traction.
The video’s caption suggested that Governor Soludo of Anambra State publicly scolded the state’s Commissioner for Works, Ifeanyi Okoma, for negligence in overseeing the road project, specifically the absence of a walkway along the road. The inspection reportedly took place on Relief Market-Obodo-Ukwu Road in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.
The caption reads, “You’re incomp£tent,” Anambra Gov. Soludo bl@sts his commissioner of works, Ifeanyi Okoma, during a recent road inspection.”
As of March 13, 2024, Lindaikejisblog’s post had accumulated over 7,000 likes, 288 shares, and 1,355 comments, while Instablog9ja’s Facebook post got over 19,000 views, 500 likes, about 190 comments, and over 30 shares.
Also, the video and the claim have been widely shared on various social media platforms by different users, contributing to the dissemination of the purported incident.
Meanwhile, the posts’ comment sections’ reactions suggest mistaken identity, leading to misinformation and misunderstandings. While many people believed it was the commissioner in the video, a few argued he was not the one being addressed therein.
Reacting to Lindaikeji’s post, C.C. commented: “Linda, this your copy and paste no make sense o! That is not the Commissioner for Works. The Commissioner is ‘not’ even in the picture. That’s the contractor heading the project…”
Still under the same post, an anonymous follower believed it to be the commissioner as they wrote: “Looking at the shape of Mr Okoma’s head, one can tell that he is incompetent.”
On Instablog’s Facebook post, Nazareth Emmanuel commented: “That’s not Ifeanyi Okoma… that’s a member of the commission of works in the state.”
These discrepancies and assumptions prompted the need to verify the accuracy of the claim, clarify any misrepresentations, and provide the public with reliable information regarding the events in question.
Verification
We investigated the man’s profile being addressed in the video by Governor Soludo. Analysis of the video footage revealed that the man was not Ifeanyi Okoma, the Anambra State’s Commissioner for Works, as claimed.
Upon careful examination through the use of PimEyes, a face search engine tool, cross-referencing, and hints from comment sections, it was established that the man in the video was Paschal Aniegbuna, the chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in the state. The discrepancy between the claim and the actual identity of the official addressed by Governor Soludo renders the assertion that the Commissioner for Works was being reprimanded inaccurate.
Here is a pictorial illustration differentiating the two individuals:
Conclusion
Based on the evidence gathered from the analysis of the video footage and research into the persons involved, it is evident that the claim alleging Governor Soludo’s public reprimand of the Commissioner for Works, Ifeanyi Okoma, is misleading. The individual addressed by the governor in the video was identified as Paschal Aniegbuna, the chairman of Ogbaru LGA in Anambra State.
The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Bridge Radio 98.7FM, Asaba, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
Thank you for this piece. This is timely!!