
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Monday urged traditional rulers to help the government fight crude oil theft and economic sabotage in their communities.
The governor emphasised that everyone has a role to play in ensuring the stability and progress of Nigeria, particularly in the oil-producing communities.
Fubara, speaking during the 117th/118th Combined Quarterly General Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, urged the monarchs to take charge of their domains and make life difficult for those involved in illegal activities.
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 this 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.
“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 announced that his government was willing to support the traditional rulers with resources to help them effectively monitor their communities, and commended the new chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, for his efforts in maintaining peace in the state.

The governor 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.
He said: “There is nothing new that has happened. The immediate past chairman served out his tenure, and the tenure is usually a one year duration. It is at the discretion of the Governor to extend such tenure. I believe, from my own assessment, there was no reason to extend it, but rather to bring in fresh blood that can bring the council together.
“And what we did, we did in good faith because our communities, our people are important to us. I want to commend the chairman who is barely three months in office, to have been able to put this meeting together; it shows leadership.”
In his address, the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, used the opportunity to thank Governor Fubara for maintaining peace in the State in the face of the unwarranted political crisis orchestrated by selfish and overzealous politicians.
Eze 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.”
Eze Wodo 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.
“We, therefore, cannot caution anybody if we allow ourselves become overly partisan. We will then lose the moral authority to reprimand those causing trouble when we take sides. So, I say, let us all work assiduously to maintain peace in Rivers State,” he added.