● Tonye Okurumo
Port Harcourt, Nigeria – March 21, 2025 – Governor Siminalayi Fubara has strongly denied allegations that he failed to prevent criminal groups and militants from carrying out threats to attack oil installations in the state.
In a statement issued Thursday by Nelson Chukwudi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fubara described the claims as “erroneous narratives” that have misled the public and distorted the true situation.
“It is important to clarify that Governor Fubara has nothing to do with the threats by militants and did not in any way ‘telegraph’ the reported attacks on any oil facility in the state,” Chukwudi stated.
The controversy was reportedly sparked by remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, during a live media chat. Wike allegedly dismissed the Ijaws as a “minority of minorities” and claimed that various ethnic groups, including Ogonis and Ikwerres, were also capable of militant actions.
“These remarks angered various Ijaw groups, elders, and youth organizations, including the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), who demanded an apology from the Minister. However, their calls were ignored,” the statement added.
Governor Fubara, according to Chukwudi, has consistently advocated for peace and the protection of oil facilities. During multiple public engagements between March 3 and 13, 2025, including the handover of an AW139 helicopter to the Nigerian Air Force, the Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to maintaining security in the state.
“As a former member of the Presidential Committee on the Protection of Oil Installations, Governor Fubara has always emphasized the need to protect oil pipelines and urged the people to avoid acts that could destabilize the state or sabotage the nation’s economy,” Chukwudi said.
Furthermore, the statement highlighted the Governor’s investment in security, citing efforts to improve the welfare of military and police personnel in the state. These efforts included building office and residential accommodations, donating vehicles, gunboats, and helicopters to enhance security operations.
It also addressed claims that Governor Fubara demolished the Hallowed Chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly without plans to rebuild it. The statement clarified that the demolition was based on professional advice and necessity.
“It was the former Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who repeatedly criticized the Assembly Complex for being dilapidated and unfit for use. In August 2022, he even challenged lawmakers to take responsibility for its poor condition,” the statement noted.
Following the structural damage to the Assembly Complex in October 2023, experts advised that a new facility be built. The government promptly demolished the structure and began constructing a state-of-the-art legislative building, which is now reportedly 80 percent complete.
The statement also accused Wike’s supporters of instigating violence during the October 5, 2024, local government elections. It claimed that local government council secretariats were attacked and razed, yet Governor Fubara’s supporters refrained from retaliation.
“These violent incidents occurred in the same LGAs that have repeatedly witnessed attacks orchestrated by detractors of the Fubara-led administration,” Chukwudi alleged.
The statement urged security agencies to focus on the real perpetrators of violence rather than be swayed by misleading allegations.
“It is clearly untrue that someone who has consistently preached peace, even in the face of provocation, would be ‘telegraphing attacks on oil pipelines’ or working against the peace and stability of the state,” the statement concluded. GMTNewsng
