The executive governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, says a judicial panel of inquiry will be set up to investigate the management of the state’s resources and affairs under past administrations.

Fubara made this declaration on Monday while swearing in Dagogo Iboroma, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the Rivers’ attorney-general and commissioner for justice, at the government house in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

“Let me also say this: you have a big task. 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,” the governor said.

Earlier on Monday, Iboroma was vetted and approved as a commissioner nominee by the Rivers House of Assembly, which is run by factional speaker Victor Jumbo.

Iboroma was appointed when Zacchaeus Adangor resigned in April.

“Please defend us. We know that you are going to defend us because your record is clean. You are a gentleman who is peaceful. You are not a noise-maker. People like you are endowed, and they have the fear of God,” Fubara told Iboroma.

Fubara succeeded Nyesom Wike, who is the current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), as governor in May 2023.

He was the accountant-general under Wike.

In May 2022, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Fubara and 58 others wanted over an alleged N435 billion fraud.

• This Is A New Era

Fubara said the swearing-in of Iboroma marked the beginning of a new era for his government, which he noted has moved on from the political crisis in the state.

“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,” Fubara said.

“But it has become very clear that this disagreement, there is no way to resolve it amicably. And for a lot of reasons, there is visible evidence that there is sabotage and 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.”

• The Crisis

The Rivers house of assembly has been polarised since 2023 following the rift between Fubara and Wike.

In December, 27 members of the assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Rivers assembly has 32 seats. One lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, died in September 2023.

In October 2023, Ehie Edison was elected speaker of the factional assembly, after his removal as house leader by members led by Martin Amaewhule, amid the plot to impeach Fubara.

Edison later resigned as a lawmaker to become chief of staff to Fubara.

The lawmakers in the Amaewhule-led faction are loyal to Wike.

The political crisis took a fresh twist last Wednesday after Jumbo, a lawmaker representing the Bonny state constituency, was elected factional speaker.

Last Friday, a state high court in Port Harcourt granted an interim injunction restraining Amaewhule from acting as a speaker of the Rivers assembly.

Charles Wali, the presiding judge, also restrained 25 other assembly members from parading themselves as legislators.

The motion ex parte was filed by Jumbo and two assembly members, Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy, loyal to Fubara.

Credit: The Cable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a fresh eight-count charge against Hadi Sirika, former minister of aviation, as regards an alleged contract fraud.

The former minister will appear before S.B. Belgore, a judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Abuja, on Tuesday to be charged alongside his brother, Ahmad Abubakar, and Enginos Nigeria Limited, a business controlled by Abubakar.

It is stated that by giving contracts to Enginos Nigeria Limited, Sirika misused his position of authority.

Sirika is currently on trial for six counts that relate to the same conduct. On May 9, he was charged with a N2.7 billion contract scam along with his daughter Fatima, son-in-law Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Limited.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty and were also granted bail in the sum of N100 million each.

Sirika was the aviation minister in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023.

The anti-graft agency began investigating the alleged contract fraud against Sirika while he was still in office.

He also reportedly met with investigators at the time.

The EFCC had reportedly detained Sirika on April 23, pending his arraignment.

The case, which is before Sylvanus Oriji, a judge of an FCT high court, has been adjourned to June 10, 11, and 20 for trial.

The federal executive council (FEC) says all new vehicles, generators or tricycles procured by the government and its agencies must be powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), solar or electric.

Among the significant decisions made during the FEC meeting on Monday was this one.

Sources claim that the decision had an impact on fresh demands made by the shipper’s council, an organisation related to the marine and blue economy, and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

According to the sources, customs and the shipper’s council had applied for permission to purchase several hundred gasoline-powered operating cars.

Also, a request by the federal capital territory (FCT) to buy petrol generators was approved, however, the council insisted the generators must be powered by CNG or solar.

Likewise, the government also expects agencies to begin to convert petrol and diesel vehicles or generators to CNG.

On April 21, the presidency said it would launch the CNG initiative ahead of the first anniversary of Tinubu’s administration on May 29.

The presidency said the presidential CNG initiative (PCNGI), in collaboration with the private sector, will deliver 100 conversion workshops and 60 refuelling sites across 18 states before year-end.

Also, on July 31, 2023, Tinubu said his administration made provision to invest N100 billion between then and March 2024 to acquire 3,000 units of 20-seater buses powered by CNG.

Two months later, the federal government announced value-added tax (VAT) would be waived on CNG bus purchases, with plans to waive duty on parts.