Nnamdi Chukwu
GOVERNOR Siminalayi Fubara has described as fake a viral social media claim suggesting he has halted oil operations in Rivers State.
On Wednesday, a Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers State government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment in the suit instituted by Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly,
The court held that no funds from the Federation Account should be released to the state until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly.
The post making the rounds says: “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. Governor Fubara has openly challenged Minister Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu to take action against this stance and see Nigeria boil.”
However, quoting the governor, TheCable reports that the post is false.
“We believe in the rule of law and we have filed an appeal against the High Court judgment,” he told TheCable.
“We will see this to a logical conclusion and we believe justice will be done.
“I urge Nigerians to ignore the fake report that I ordered that oil operations be shut down in the state.”
Also, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, described the report as “false and concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the state”.
RE: RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR SIM FUBARA SHUTS DOWN NNPCL
The attention of the 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.
Signed
Warisenibo Joe Johnson
Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications
•Additional report courtesy of the TheCable
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