The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has addressed circulating reports suggesting he ordered the closure of oil operations in the state, including those of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and other major oil companies.
According to a statement released by Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, these claims are entirely unfounded and misleading.
The allegations initially appeared on social media, claiming that Governor Fubara had issued directives to halt the operations of NNPCL and other oil firms within Rivers State. However, the government’s response firmly denies any truth to these assertions.
“The attention of Rivers State Government has been drawn to a spurious news item circulating on social media on ‘Gov. Siminalayi Fubara shutting down NNPCL and all oil companies in Rivers State’.
“The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State. The story was also circulated by an inconsequential and unverified medium.
“Governor Siminalayi Fubara is committed to the rule of law and does not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to matters of governance.
“We therefore enjoin Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the spurious and fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and/or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.”
