Governor Udom Emmanuel has debunked the report that South South governors and PANDEF held an emergency meeting over the $2 billion Katsina refinery and backed out of ceasefire agreement in Niger Delta.
He said there was no truth about the report.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant, (Media)/ Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, the story was a figment of the imagination of the writer.
The statement reads in full:
Re: South-South Governors, PANDEF Hold Emergency Meeting over $2Billon Katsina Refinery.
Back out of Ceasefire Agreement in N/Delta, call Buhari “President of the North”.
We have read with dismay the fake news currently circulating within the Social Media platforms with the caption “South-South governors, PANDEF Hold emergency Meeting over $2 Billion Katsina Refinery. Back out of Ceasefire Agreement in N/Delta, call Buhari “President of the North.”
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We would have ignored the fake news as the writer had, at the end of the piece put out a disclaimer that the views expressed were concocted by him, and that no such meeting or the communiqué purported to have been read by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, HE, Udom Emmanuel ever took place.
We are however, constrained to put out this rejoinder lest gullible members of the pubic or those who may not have the patience to read the piece to the end may believe the farcical news, given the broad mentioning of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State as the one who purportedly read the fake communiqué on behalf of the South-South governors.
As the writer stated, this news is FAKE, as no SUCH MEETING OF SOUTH-SOUTH GOVERNORS EVER TOOK PLACE in Asaba, Delta State. The said piece is the figment of the writer’s mis-applied fertile imagination and should therefore, be discountenanced by the members so the public.
Given the heightened ethno-religious tension in the country and the need for us to come together as patriotic Nigerians to deepen our chord of unity and brotherhood, we believe it is extremely irresponsible for an individual to concoct such a story and cause it to be circulated on the Social Media space.
We call on the security agencies to look into this issue and let the writer understand that there are certain lines that should not be crossed, especially when prominent names of Nigerians are thrown into what is decidedly fake news.
Signed
Ekerete Udoh
Senior Special Assistant, (Media)/ Chief Press Secretary to governor Udom Emmanuel
