The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has publicly distanced herself from claims made by a Biafra separatist Simon Ekpa, who claimed that she facilitated a $57.5 billion loan for the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ekpa, in a viral tweet on X, claimed that the IMF and World Bank had agreed to loan the funds to support the secessionist group following a planned declaration of Biafra Republic on December 2, 2024. He wrote: “The World Bank and IMF have agreed to loan the sum of $57.5 billion to the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) to form our government after the December 2nd, 2024 declaration of Biafra. I thank our sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for helping me facilitate the loan.”
In a swift response via her X (formerly Twitter) page, Okonjo-Iweala, who shared Ekpa’s tweet, refuted his claims, stating, “I know no sensible person will believe what is contained in the outrageous tweet below, but in these troubled times, it is important to underscore that the statement is false. Again, I enjoin all those seeking to misuse my name to desist!”
Following Okonjo-Iweala’s rebuttal, Ekpa responded on his X account, denying responsibility for the tweet with purported World Bank/IMF loan claims and accused others of fabricating the message.
He, however, berated Okonjo-Iweala for reacting to what he called a fake tweet, accusing her of keeping silent over the purported plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Ekpa responded by saying, “Dear Madam @NOIweala, I never tweeted such. It is even surprising that you can tweet this because your name was mentioned. We have been tweeting about the Nigerian terrorism against your people, and you never responded nor showed any remorse. Here you are, defending what nonentities did with your name, but have been mute about all the killings by the government you served.”
Ekpa continued, “I congratulate you for always defending yourself and your integrity, even when they are photoshopped. It shows you are really a mother. Thank you for defending yourself, but I never tweeted such a thing. It is false and fake.”
