Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd).
…Warns Fake News Peddlers
By Maureen Dick
RIVERS State government has debunked reports on social media platforms that the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), has summoned the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, to a meeting at the Government House on Friday, April 18, 2025.
The denial was contained in an official statement signed by Sir Dede Sampson Friday, Permanent Secretary, Special Services Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government Rivers State Government on Wednesday.
Sir Friday, in that statement, urged Rivers residents to disregard any of such reports, stressing that the state government has official channel for disseminating information for public use.
He emphasized that several fraudulent announcements circulating on social media purportedly signed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG) were intended to cause panic and truncate peace in the state.
The Permanent Secretary said: “The Rivers State Government has become aware of fraudulent announcements circulating on social media, falsely attributed to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
“These malicious fabrications are designed to mislead the public, create panic, and disrupt the peace in Rivers State.
“One such fake announcements falsely claims that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, and the Deputy Governor, Prof. Mrs. Ngozi Nma Odu, were summoned to a meeting at the Government House on Friday, April 18, 2025.
“The Rivers State Government categorically states that this announcement is fake and did not originate from any official source.
The public is urged to disregard this and any similar misinformation, as they are the work of troublemakers seeking to destabilize the state.
Friday added that official communications from the state government are disseminated only through verified channels, including, the Official Rivers State Government Website: www.riversstate.gov.ng; authorized Government Social Media handles: Rivers State Government (Facebook), others are being reviewed for relaunch.
Other official channels are press releases issued by the Office of the Governor and the Secretary to the State Government and approved traditional media outlets.
The permanent secretary added that further clarification could from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government could be made through a designated phone number.
He cautioned: “The public is advised to always verify information before sharing and to rely solely on official government sources for accurate updates.”