A Failed 112 Demo Turned a Political Talking Point Into a Public Test

A spokesperson is not the builder; the job is to explain what has been built. But when Alwan Hassan challenged Seun Okinbaloye to call 112 live, he turned a political claim into a public test. The call failed on air. Viewers also said they could not get through, while Hassan blamed the network and Okinbaloye noted that other calls from the studio were working. To me, the bigger issue was who could claim credit for the service. The account traces 112 back to an initiative conceived in 2005, launched in 2020 and still undergoing unification in records available through September 2026. Hassan presented it as a fresh achievement of the Tinubu administration, then invited viewers to test it. Less than 24 hours later, Hassan was gone, and the campaign narrowed its authorised voices to three. I don’t think the problem was only that the call failed. The live test made the disputed ownership claim—and the embarrassment—impossible to ignore. A spokesperson can spend public trust by presenting old projects as new or promising more than a service can deliver. Hassan went to the studio to tell Nigerians what had worked, but the failed demonstration became the story. Did you try dialling 112 too?

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.