The Rivers State Government has refuted claims from a social media post alleging that Governor Siminalayi Fubara ordered the shutdown of oil operations in the state.
The viral post claimed that the governor directed the closure of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and other oil firms in Rivers State following a court ruling on Wednesday.
The post read, “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.”
According to PUNCH Online, on Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria from disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers State government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that funds from the federation account should be withheld until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly.
Rivers State officials have appealed the judgment and expressed optimism that it will be overturned.
In response to the viral post, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed the claim as false and baseless.
Johnson clarified that Governor Fubara adheres to the rule of law and does not use unorthodox methods to address governance issues.
“The Rivers State Government’s attention has been drawn to a fabricated news item circulating on social media alleging that Governor Siminalayi Fubara ordered the shutdown of NNPC and all oil companies in Rivers State,” the statement read. “This report is entirely false and merely the product of the author’s imagination. Governor Fubara is committed to lawful governance and does not resort to unconventional approaches.”