By BARBARA KALU, Port-Harcourt –

Rivers State Government has debunked a social media report alleging 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, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, described the report false and a concocted propaganda.

The 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 a 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.”