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Claim: A Facebook user claims Governor Fubara has ordered the shutdown of NNPC and oil companies in Rivers State over federal revenue allocation.
Verdict: False. Credible news outlets Punch and Channels TV have reported the claim as inauthentic, quoting the Rivers State Commissioner for Communication and Information, Joseph Johnson, who dismissed it as propaganda.
Full Text
The political rift between former Rivers State governor and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, continues to cut deep, especially with the recent Federal High Court’s order barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from allocating federal funds to Rivers State.
In light of the recent development of a Facebook user, Amb. Okorie Sylvester Chidubem alleged that the Rivers State governor, Mr Fubara, has ordered the shutdown of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other oil companies in the South-south state.
The Facebook user wrote, “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.” he added.
Since it was uploaded on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, the post has attracted 23 likes, 22 comments, and five shares.
After examining the comment section of this post, DUBAWA observed that other Facebook users seemed to support the alleged governor’s order.
“Nice move, and we move,” Nelson Chibuike Iregbulem commented.
“Nice one.,” China Sommy reacted while Ebele Temple wrote, “Wike is panicking.”
We found a similar claim here.
Due to the sensitivity of the matter and the ongoing political tension between the two political rivals, DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search related to Mr Fubara’s alleged NNPC and oil company shutdown and came across news reports on the Rivers State government’s disclaimer of the allegation.
Punch newspaper reported that the Rivers State commissioner, Joseph Johnson’s statement, dismissed the allegation as untrue and propaganda.
“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,” part of the statement reads.
“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,” the commissioner clarified.
Channels Television also quoted the Rivers State government’s description of the claim as “concocted propaganda.”
Similarly, TheCable also reported the governor’s reaction to the claim as false. He urged Nigerians to ignore the report as “fake.”
Moreover, the claimant asserted that after the governor’s alleged order, Nigeria’s global position amongst oil-producing countries dropped from fourth to 24th. However, Worldometer’s data for Nigeria’s current global position as an oil-producing state showed the country is 15th in oil production, 37th in oil consumption, and tenth in its oil reserve capacity.
Conclusion
The claim is false, as news outlets have reported the Rivers State government’s response to it as untrue.
