The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Monday, disclosed plans to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate how the affairs of governance were conducted in the state before he assumed office.
Fubara’s declaration is believed to be targeted at his immediate predecessor and estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
It marks a new twist in the crisis between them, which began in October last year after members of the state House of Assembly loyal to Wike attempted to impeach Fubara.
On Monday, Fubara called on the new Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dagogo Iboroma (SAN), to brace up for legal challenges ahead.
He spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt, during the swearing-in of Iboroma as the new attorney general of the state, hours after the three-member factional state House of Assembly loyal to the governor sanctioned the SAN’s nomination for appointment.
The post of attorney general was previously occupied by Prof Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), a Wike’s loyalist, who felt slighted and resigned from the cabinet after Fubara redeployed him from the office of the attorney general to another ministry.
Fubara, during the swearing-in, said he was bringing in Iboroma as the new attorney general at a critical time when there were lots of legal matters that needed to be tackled, with bravery and courage.
Fubara, “So, my brother, Dagogo Iboroma, you are going to be the brand new attorney general of our dear state. The Secretary to State Government, gave him his letter. He is the attorney general.
“Why are we bringing you at this very critical time? We have a lot of issues around us. We believe that you are not going to be the one that when they send service to you, you go and file ‘nolle prosequi’ or you go and file one thing that would kill us here.
“Let me also say this, you have a big task. In the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the affairs of governance. So, brace up, I am not going back on it.
“Please, defend us. We know that you are going to defend us because your record is clean. You are a gentleman and peaceful. You are not a noise maker. People like you are endowed, and they have the fear of God.”
Fubara said he thought the political crisis he considered as a problem within a family would have been resolved, but regretted that there had been no headway.
At the moment, in the heat of the political crisis between Wike and Fubara, the state House of Assembly has been split into two, with faction with 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, while the second faction with three members are loyal to Fubara.
Fubara said though the crisis was unfortunate, his administration had moved forward with what he termed a well-constituted state House of Assembly to discharge legislative duties, and a seasoned lawyer appointed as the Attorney-General of the state.
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“I am happy that this is happening today to mark the beginning of a new era in our administration.
“When I said that I had a reason for being patient, it is because I know that we are all from one family. And if we have a disagreement, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved amicably.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement, there is no headway to resolve it amicably. And for a lot of reasons, there is visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“For that reason, we have to move forward. And, moving forward, if it means taking decisions that are going to hurt anybody, we are not going back on the protection of the interest of Rivers people.”
Fubara took a swipe at the ex-attorney general, Adangor who, he said, as the chief law officer of the state, indulged in sabotaging the same administration he served.
He said, “It is good that you (Iboroma) were already a SAN before your appointment. This means that you’re a very thorough lawyer and have earned your appointment. Not like the one we had here who, while in office, went to pay money to get SAN. When you become a SAN, the only thing you will do is sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you go publicly to claim that you are a learned person. But go publicly to tell people that you were the chief law officer.
“Chief Law Officer? You were here and you went to stand before a magistrates’ court. At that time, you didn’t remember that you were a chief law officer, going against the ethics of your job. As I said, you will get your reward, not in the next world, but in this world.”
Fubara also said God did not make mistakes when He elevates any person to whatever level and dismissed talks to that effect, claiming that it was a mistake that he became a governor.
The governor was replying to a statement credited to Wike at an event on Saturday.
It was reported that Wike, while addressing a grand civic reception on Saturday in Ogu-Bolo, Rivers State, honouring Chief George Thompson Sekibo’s 20 years of public service, apologised for the mistake he made in 2023 but said he would correct the mistake at the right time.
Iboroma, after he was sworn in, pledged to uphold the rule of law and thanked Governor Fubara for the opportunity given him to serve the state.
“I thank His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, for finding me worthy to be appointed into his cabinet as a commissioner.
“I also want to say clearly without any equivocation that I will uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ensure that at all times, the rule of law is maintained,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the Leader of the state House of Assembly loyal to Governor Fubara, Spkari Goodboy, commended the new attorney general and described his portfolio as great.
Goodboy said, “Today was just a simple thing for us. What we did was just screening a commissioner. We know too well that there are vacancies in the executive arm of government. And, as a legislature, what we do most times is give the legislative approval to make sure that the executive continues with the oath to benefit the people of Rivers State.
“We didn’t have much problem because the commissioner’s Curriculum Vitae is so rich and we are happy that he has come in to assist to move the government forward.”
Our correspondent reports that the screening and confirmation of the Mr Iboroma was the first legislative session since the election of new principal officers and the Speaker, Oko-Jumbo.