Port Harcourt, Nov. 1, 2024 – The Rivers State Government has denied media reports that it had shut down oil exploration activities in the state.
Joseph Johnson, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, made the denial in a statement on Thursday.
He described the report as false and concocted propaganda.
Some media platforms have been carrying a report that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had shut down oil operations in the state.
The report reads: “Breaking News: Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPC and All Oil Companies in Rivers State, Declares No Allocation for Rivers State, No Oil for Nigeria
“In a bold move, Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara has ordered the shutdown of NNPC and all oil companies operating in Rivers State, declaring that without federal allocation for Rivers State, there will be no oil for Nigeria.
“Within minutes of the shutdown, Nigeria dropped in the global oil production ranking from 4th to 24th.”
But while reacting to the report, the state Commissioner for Information, said the report was a blatant falsehood as the state government would not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to governance matters.
The state government statement reads: “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 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.” (GBN)
