There is a very modern kind of reputation crisis that does not require anything new to go wrong. An old problem simply comes back.
That is what LAWMA has been dealing with after videos showing heaps of waste in Mushin began circulating again online. Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, pushed back publicly, saying the footage was old and did not reflect the current condition of the location.
The argument is not really about refuse. It is about what happens when the internet refuses to forget your worst day.
The Problem May Be Fixed. The Content Is Still Alive.
Before social media, reputation followed something close to a timeline. A problem happened. It was reported. The organisation responded. The situation improved. Eventually, the story faded.
The internet broke that sequence. An old video does not arrive with an expiry date. A screenshot can move through WhatsApp without the original post. A clip saved on someone’s phone can reappear years later and suddenly become evidence of what is supposedly happening today.
That gives negative content a second life. Call it zombie content. You thought it was dead. The internet brings it back.
Something Can Be Real and Still Be Misleading
The LAWMA case is useful because the agency’s argument is context. The video may show something that genuinely happened. But, according to the government, it does not show what is happening now.
Verification is no longer only about asking, “Is this real?” It also requires asking, “When did this happen?”
Creators Are Media Houses Whether They Like It or Not
A video sitting on one person’s phone is not necessarily a crisis. The same video on an account capable of reaching millions can become one immediately.
Large creators now shape reputation faster than many newspapers. But social publishing rewards speed. Outrage travels. Context slows things down. The responsible question is often embarrassingly simple: When was this recorded?
“That Video Is Old” Is Not Enough
The stronger response is not simply “that video is old.” It is: “That video is old. Here is what happened. Here is what we did. Here is what the location looks like now.”
Counter old evidence with new evidence. Modern reputation management needs before, during and after documentation that is easy for journalists, customers and search engines to find.
TL;DR
LAWMA says old Mushin waste footage has been recirculated as though it reflects current conditions. The episode exposes a growing problem for every organisation: old content can return without dates or context and create a brand-new crisis.
Because online, yesterday’s crisis does not stay yesterday. Sometimes it simply waits for someone to press repost.
SoroSoke.