Did Fubara Shut Down Oil Operations in Rivers? Embattled Governor Opens Up

• Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers state, has denied the report that he ordered the closure of all oil operations in the state
• The fake news had claimed that the governor ordered the closure of the NNPC and other oil companies in the state
• This came on the background of the federal high court judgment that barred the CBN and the AGF from releasing the state allocation until the governor constituted a proper state house of assembly

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has categorically denied a viral social media post claiming he shut down oil operations in the state. The false report alleged that Fubara ordered the closure of NNPC and all oil companies in Rivers, declaring "no allocation for Rivers State, no oil for Nigeria".

This declaration was supposedly made in response to a federal high court ruling in Abuja, which restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.

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Why court stop Rivers allocation

The court's verdict, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, stated that funds from the federation account should not be released to the state until a validly constituted House of Assembly passes a lawful appropriation act.

However, Fubara has reassured the public that his administration believes in the rule of law and has filed an appeal against the high court ruling.

According to The Cable, the governor urged Nigerians to disregard the false report, emphasizing that he did not order the shutdown of oil operations in the state.

Fubara said:

"We will see this to a logical conclusion and believe justice will be done."

Governor Fubara takes peaceful path

The Rivers state governor says he is taking a peaceful approach to resolving the issue. Governor Fubara has previously expressed his commitment to peace, stating that "no price is too much for peace to reign".

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The false report claimed Nigeria's global oil production ranking plummeted from 4th to 24th due to the alleged shutdown. However, with Fubara's denial and assurance of appealing the court ruling, it's clear that the situation is being handled through legal channels, prioritizing the rule of law and peaceful resolution.

Rivers crisis: Pro-Fubara assembly challenges pro-Wike

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Rivers political crisis has raised new dust as Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction of the state assembly kicked against the resolution of the Martin Amaewhule faction.

Martin Amaewhule-led faction barred Governor Siminalayi Fubara from spending public funds on Monday, July 15, over the governor's failure to present the budget to the house.

However, the Oko-Jumbo-led faction claimed that Amaewhule and 24 others were no longer house members, calling on INEC to conduct by-elections to fill their places.

Source: Legit.ng