Kenny Okolugbo, aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Communications and Strategy, has disputed recent social media claims about his health.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Okolugbo condemned the reports as false and untrue.
He stated that the Senate President is healthy and actively carrying out his official duties.
“The Senate President is very healthy. You saw him; he’s been attending sessions, and that answers the question,” he said.
Okolugbo mentioned similar false accusations concerning the Federal Capital Territory’s Minister, Nyesom Wike, who was allegedly incapacitated but emerged the next day, commissioning projects and participating in live shows.
“Even Minister Wike was affected by similar rumors. One day they said he was in a coma or had suffered a stroke, and the next day he was commissioning projects and appeared on a live program,” he added.
Akpabio’s aide called for stronger regulation of social media to curb the spread of misinformation.
“We must regulate social media. Everybody’s a publisher online, but they don’t seem to understand that the law prohibits sharing information you are not sure of,” Okolugbo warned.
SaharaReporters previously reported on Monday that the Senate President fainted and was transported to London for treatment on a private jet.
According to the internet news portal, Akpabio was unable to attend the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper interactive session on Wednesday due to his current situation.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
