The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has denied the news of the discovery of a large deposit of gold in a part of the state.

An online medium had through a report alleged that the discovery of gold reserve estimated over 20 million tonnes and worth over $900tn in Ehamufu, Anambra State.

The report also alleged that Soludo, in his capacity as the chairman of the South East Governors’ forum, briefed journalists at the end of a meeting of the forum on the development.

But reacting to the claims, the governor in a press statement through his Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, on Friday, described the report as fake and misleading.

The statement was titled ‘Purported discovery of gold reserve of over 20 million tonnes worth over $900tn in Ehamufu, Anambra State’.

The governor advised the general public to completely disregard the report and every material therein as a fake news item, saying the state government has specific channels where it churns out information to the public.

The statement read, “The attention of the government of Anambra State has been drawn to a fictitious and fallacious write-up with the above heading which has been making the rounds in some social media handles.

“Ehamufu is not in Anambra State. Governor Chukwuma Soludo is not the Chairman of the South East Governors’ forum, neither did he brief newsmen of any meeting held by the forum or phantom discovery of gold reserves in Ehamufu, Anambra State, as allegedly claimed by the writer(s).

“The entire news story including every statement or quotation allegedly attributed to Soludo are mere falsehoods without an iota of truth.

“The general public is hereby advised to discountenance and disregard these claims as a figment of the writer’s imagination. The entire news item remains a mischievously cooked-up story with the clear intention to mislead the general public.

“For emphasis, the general public is again advised to completely disregard the news story and every material therein as a fake news item.”