Fubara denies shutting down NNPCL, other oil firms in Rivers

The Rivers State Government has dismissed a social media report that Governor Siminalayi Fubara shut down the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other oil companies in the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, in a statement said the report was not only false but a concocted propaganda.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

The Rivers State government called on its indigenes and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.

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A report that went viral claimed that Fubara ordered the closure of the NNPLC and other oil companies in the state following a court ruling on Wednesday.

In the ruling, a Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from further disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.

Presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, issued the verdict while delivering judgment on a suit filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule.

According to the Judge, monies from the federation account should not be released to the state pending the passage of a lawful appropriation act by a validly constituted House of Assembly.

The report claimed that following the ruling, Fubara went on to shut down NNPCL and other oil companies operating in the state.

“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.”

Johnson, however, noted that the report was false.