Former Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has alerted the public on what she termed ‘fake news items and voice recordings circulating on the social media purportedly made by her.

Okonjo-Iweala, who was also a coordinating Minister of Nigeria’s economy under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, in a statement on Thursday urged the public to be wary of the contents, saying they were politically motivated.

“It has been brought to my attention that a number of fake news items with my photo and fake voice recordings of me making political utterances are circulating on social media.

“I want the public to beware of such fake news items. They are being put out by politically motivated people with malicious intent.

“It is the 2019 political season and such people are desperate to destroy and distract for power.

“I want to state categorically, as I have always done, that I will not be distracted from the focused international assignments I am engaged with,” the former minister said. (NAN)