The attention of the Federal Ministry of Information has been drawn to a story in both the traditional and social media, alleging that the Nigerian Government purportedly ordered 53 gold-plated iPhones for the country’s 53rd independence anniversary celebration. The story is false in its entirety and nothing but the figment of the warped imagination of the authors.
Neither the Federal Government of Nigeria nor any of its agencies contemplated the idea or placed any order for gold-plated iPhones for the nation’s 53rd independence anniversary, or any anniversary for that matter.
We, therefore, call on Nigerians and the international community to disregard the story linking the Federal Government with the importation of the gold-plated iPhones. The blatant falsehood in the story is one of those mischievous attempts at tarnishing the image of the Federal Government.
Nigerians are hereby advised to watch out for those intent on blackmailing the government for political reasons.
For private individuals who are extravagant enough to contemplate the importation of luxury items such as gold-plated iPhones, we would like to use this opportunity to appeal to them to invest their wealth in the Nigerian economy, to create jobs and generate more wealth for the nation, rather than waste such money in pursuit of expensive tastes. They should copy the examples of Aliko Dangote, Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson Motors), and others who are using their talents and wealth to invest in the economy to create jobs for Nigerians.
Joseph Mutah
Press Secretary Minister of Information
