Fubara insists Rivers remains safe, blames political interests for negative media reports …. Dismisses security concerns as “deliberate misinformation”

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has pushed back strongly against what he calls deliberate attempts to cast the state in a negative light, insisting that Rivers remains peaceful and fully secure for residents, investors and visitors.

The governor made the comments on Sunday night in Port Harcourt during the grand finale of the Python Golf Club’s 6th Chief Ikenna Okafor Pro-Amateur Golf Championship, an event that drew players and officials from several African countries and golf clubs across Nigeria.

Addressing participants, Fubara said the turnout at the tournament contradicts media narratives that portray Rivers State as troubled or unsafe.

According to him, “more than half of the alarming stories published about Rivers State are exaggerated, taken out of context, or simply untrue.”

He argued that incidents in other states often receive muted coverage due to effective media management, while issues in Rivers are amplified for political reasons.

“In our own case, they say anything anything at all, just to distort our image and reduce us to caricature.

“It is all engineered. They want to make us appear like the problem of Nigeria, ” he said.

Fubara acknowledged that the state experienced political tensions earlier in the year, leading to several months of uncertainty.

He, however, stressed that the situation has been resolved and that normalcy has fully returned.

He credited security agencies for stabilising the environment, saying their coordination and professionalism have allowed the state to regain its footing.

The governor noted that participants at the tournament had circulated across Port Harcourt without incident, interacting freely with locals and experiencing the city’s hospitality firsthand.

“Your presence here is proof,” he told guests. “Rivers State is not the war zone some people try to paint. You have seen the truth, we are peaceful, we are warm, and we are open.”

Fubara pledged his administration’s continued support for the club and revealed that the long-abandoned Governor’s Cup golf tournament would be revived.

He also announced new government-backed initiatives to upgrade the club’s facilities and encourage more sporting and tourism events in the state.

Part of the state’s strategy, he said, is to promote activities that draw visitors, showcase Port Harcourt’s hospitality industry, and counteract damaging stereotypes.

Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, the General Officer Commanding the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, endorsed the governor’s comments, attributing the decision to host the championship in Port Harcourt to the stable security situation in the state.

According to him, the peaceful conduct of the tournament “justified the confidence” that security agencies placed in Rivers State.

Earlier, Chief Ikenna Okafor, the celebrant and host of the tournament, hailed the governor’s presence as historic, noting that it had been over a decade since a sitting governor visited the club during competition.

He announced plans to revive the Governor’s Cup and attract even larger events to Rivers State, saying the participation of players from eight African countries and 36 Nigerian clubs was evidence of sustained confidence in the state.

The event closed with prize presentations, a birthday celebration for Chief Okafor, and a ceremonial toast to future tournaments.