Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said the state has been peaceful since he took over on May 29.
The governor said several national conferences and meetings in the state in the last three weeks had shown that stories of insecurity in the state were propaganda aimed at attracting negative publicity.
Wike spoke on Tuesday night at a cocktail in Port Harcourt, the state capital, for vice chancellors.
The governor said his administration had put in place measures to guarantee the safety of life and property.
He added that the state had again become a destination of choice.
Wike expressed happiness that the vice chancellors and other university top officials had stayed in the state for over three days and realised the state was peaceful.
He said: “We have committed ourselves to hosting many national meetings and conferences since we took over the reins of governance. This, we have done to prove that we have restored peace and stability in the state, with businesses going on without hindrance.
“If you (vice chancellors) had not come here for your 30th annual conference, you might have been tempted to believe that Port Harcourt was an unsafe place.
“They created the impression that as you move around Port Harcourt you see bodies of people who have been killed in violence. In the days you spent in Port Harcourt, you have noticed that it is a peaceful community with a rich night life.”
The governor said his administration took firm measures to revive the Judiciary and the House of Assembly to return the state to full-fledged democracy.
According to him, the people are reaping the benefits through the peaceful atmosphere across the state.
Wike assured that further steps were being taken to ensure that security agencies work on grey areas to consolidate the achievements the government had recorded.
The Chairman of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof Joseph Ajienka, hailed Wike for taking proactive steps to improve the state.