Rivers State Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State, to join efforts in the fight against crude oil theft.
He said in ensuring stability in the state, the traditional rulers should to take charge of their domains and ensure that they make life difficult for ill-guided youths involved in acts of economic sabotage in their various communities.
Governor Fubara gave the charge yesterday, while declaring open the 117th/118th Combined Quarterly General Meeting of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, held in Port Harcourt, State capital.
Speaking further, the governor maintained that it should be the concern of everybody to support and see Nigeria progress as a stable country while advancing economically, adding that it is possible only when there is high production of crude oil, as the mainstay of the national economy.
He said: “I want to see a different society from this hour. The Federal Government is doing everything to see that our crude oil production level increases. But every day, we are having issues of illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalisation and all the associated problems.
“All these people that are carrying out these evil acts, they’re not coming from the moon, they live in our communities, we know them. I am charging this council, as a first step, take charge of your communities.
“If there is any information that you need to share with us, share with us. In the overall, we need our country to progress. We need our country to be stable. We need our country to grow economically. It is through only one means: our oil production.”
The Governor insisted: “We are charging you, to please go back and take charge of your communities. I assure you of our support. If there is anything that we need to do, if it means government sending you some little support financially to create your own vigilante to help, we will do it.”
Governor Fubara expressed delight and gratitude to God that the council is still existing despite the protracted political travail confronting the State and his administration.
He explained that what he is doing is devoid of politics but a performance of statutory duty of government, especially in the appointment of a new chairman to steer the affairs of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.
Governor Fubara said he has been furnished with a comprehensive list of names of all traditional rulers of First Class, Second Class and Third Class totalling over 150.
The Governor stated that the state government cannot take in one block the purchase of their official vehicles, going by that number, and urged them to consider the option of monetizing it because most of them own their cars already.
In his address, the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, thanked Governor Fubara for maintaining peace in the State in the face of the unwarranted political crisis orchestrated by selfish and overzealous politicians.
Wodo, who is the Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State, urged the Governor not to fall into the traps of detractors by confronting their violence with violence, which he noted, will only serve the interest of those selfish politicians.
He said, “All of us know that those that are over-heating the polity have one aim: to make the State ungovernable so as to make it ripe for a declaration of State of Emergency. Please, Sir, advise your supporters to avoid every invitation to violence.
“May I also appeal to our people on all sides of the political divide to remember that we have nowhere else to call home apart from Rivers State. So, we must not allow our personal interest to destroy the peace, stability and growth of our State.”
The monarch enjoined members of the council: “As traditional rulers, we owe our State the duty of making it peaceful by cautioning our children against violent acts.
Blessing Ibunge
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