The Rumuwoji Community Council ( RCC), the apex and decision making body of Rumuwoji Community of Abali, Rebisi in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State has faulted a purported publication that the popular Rumuwoji market also called Mile 1 Market may be renamed by the state government.

The Chairman of the Community Council, Isaac Chibueze Wigodo, in a statement, said the story was misleading and has no bearing, adding that the State government was not considering renaming the popular Rumuwoji Market.

Wigodo urged the general public to disregard such insinuation by a local tabloid, adding that the news was concocted to mislead the public and create confusion amongst the people.

According to him, “although, I do not hold brief for the state government, it has not come to our notice and the government we know will not think in that direction, adding that the writer was only trying to cause confusion between the chiefs of Port Harcourt and Rumuwoji community.

“The pupolar Rumuwoji Market has been named Rumuwoji Mile Market even before the civil war; but its regrettable that the writer, who is from a neighbouring community, wants the name of his community to be added.”

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“The story is misleading and falls short of the ethics of the journalism profession. Nobody from the state government or chiefs as stated in the story spoke of the purported move to rename the market”, he noted

He, however, said the aim of the originator of the news was to create factions, confusion and mislead the public.

The Community Chairman reminded the publisher of the South South Voice that Rumuwoji Community was one of the sons of Abali, adding that nobody should claim more of Abali than others.

According to him, “There is no issue about the ownership of Rumuwoji market and nobody intends calling for dialogue to resolve it”.

Wigodo warned the publisher to cease from creating confusion and instigating the people by misleading them through false news items.

The community leader, however, commended the State government for rebuilding the market and urged the people of Rivers State “to continue to support Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike in his vision of New Rivers State.”