Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has denied allegation by the Presidency that he did nothing to dissuade criminal groups, and militants from making good their threats to attack oil installations in the state.
The governor also said there is no iota of truth that after demolishing the state House of Assembly complex, on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, he did nothing to rebuild the legislative building.
The governor who spoke Thursday evening through his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, said the clarification became necessary to set the records straight, and correct the erroneous impression such narratives are creating in the minds of the Nigerians.
“First, it is important to clarify that Governor Fubara has nothing to do with the threats by militants and also did not in any way telegraph the reported attacks on any oil facility in the state.
“It is on record that the reaction of stakeholders in the Niger Delta, especially elders, chiefs, women, Ijaw National Congress, its youth wing, the IYC, as well as militants, among others, was triggered by remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, in a live media chat, during which he dismissed Ijaws as a minority of the minorities, and powerless in the Nigerian polity, saying that Ijaws are not the only ones that are militants and can blow up pipelines; that Ogonis, Ikwerres, and others are also militants and can as well blow up pipelines,” the statement said
The statement noted that available public records show that Gov. Fubara, on several occasions and at every forum, including all the project commissioning events as well as the handover of the AW139 helicopter to the Nigerian Air Force, between March 3 and 13, 2025, made it clear that his administration was committed to the peace, security, and safety of oil facilities in the state.
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According to the statement, the governor as a member of the presidential committee on the protection of oil Installations in the region, has repeatedly emphasized the need to protect oil pipelines and other facilities in the state.
The governor urged his supporters and the people of the state to avoid acts capable of destabilizing the state or sabotaging the nation’s economy.
“Since inception as the chief executive of Rivers State, Governor Fubara has prioritized investment in upscaling the welfare and operational equipment of all personnel, and arms of the armed forces and security agencies in the state by building livable office and residential accommodation for officers and men, and donating vehicles, gunboats, helicopters, and other critical needs of the formations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the performance of their duties.
“His commitment to total peace and good governance in the state has contributed significantly to increased oil production, and revenues for the country since May 29, 2023, as the continuous rise in the accruable revenue from the state into the federation account has shown over the months,” the statement stressed .
On the claim that the governor acted with impunity to demolish the the state House of Assembly, and did nothing to rebuild it14 months after, the statement posited that the governor acted based on professional advice and guidance.
It said the governor only tried to accomplish what his predecessor failed to do, by taking the challenge to rebuild the assembly chambers which had become dilapidated to ensure a conducive legislative environment for the lawmakers.
“It must be noted that immediately after the incident of October 29, 2023, and experts’ reports, the government decided to heed the age-old demands of the lawmakers to rebuild the facility, and promptly demolished the dilapidated structure to give way to a state-of-the-art assembly complex, which is now nearly 80 percent completed.
“In the wake of the most peaceful and violence-free local government election in the state on the 5th October, 2024, the supporters of the FCT minister violently attacked and razed facilities in some local government council secretariats without any reprisals from Governor Fubara’s supporters,” the statement added.
The statement drew the attention of security agencies to the fact that local government areas, where those attacks were unleashed are the same places that have repeatedly witnessed violence perpetrated by detractors of the Governor Fubara-led administration.
“This is why it is important for the security agencies to focus on the real purveyors of violence, critically evaluate these incidents, and diligently undertake investigations to unravel the elements behind the crimes and bring them to justice without let or hindrance.
“It is clearly untrue that somebody who has all the while preached peace and non-violence, even in the face of extreme provocations, would be telegraphing attacks on oil pipelines, and breaching the peace he has worked so hard to promote and sustain for the good of the people of the state”, the statement argued.
