Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said he will set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.

Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.

The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.

Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.

“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.

“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”

The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.

“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.

“Maybe where they are, they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima has justified the tax reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying they are meant to benefit Nigerians and not frustrate the economy.

The Vice President, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, stated this at the close-out retreat of the presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee on Saturday in Abuja.

Represented at the event by the Special Adviser on General Duties in the Office of the Vice President, Shettima said the dynamics of the nation’s fiscal landscape prompted the Tinubu administration to pause and reconsider the direction Nigeria was headed.

He said: “Our aim remains the revitalisation of revenue generation in Nigeria while sustaining an investment-friendly and globally competitive business environment.”

He expressed confidence in the tax reforms committee’s ability to execute its mandate, noting the significant shift from planning to implementation.

The Vice President said the federal and state governments are ready to facilitate the effective execution of the committee’s reforms.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing the institutional support needed to integrate these proposals with the administration’s broader economic strategy.

Minister of the Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has regretted supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara to become his successor, with a vow to correct the mistake at the appropriate time.

The FCT Minister, who spoke on Saturday during a reception held in Port Harcourt in honour of Chief George Thompson Sekibo to celebrate his 20 years of service at the national and 36 years in public service, said he made mistakes in his judgment of Fubara and asked the people of the state and political family to forgive him, promising that he would correct the mistake at the right time.

“I want to say this clearly, in life we have made a mistake. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me,” Wike said.

“But we will correct it at the appropriate time. I am a human; I am bound to make a mistake. So forgive me for making a wrong judgment. So nobody should kill.”

Reacting to some developments and actions from the camp of Fubara in the ongoing political crisis in the State, Wike said the governor’s actions so far have shown he is not to be trusted.

“If they like they can go to anybody by 2am or 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We must follow due process,” Wike said.

Taking a swipe at Fubara’s recent remarks that he would not worship anybody, Wike said he had never asked anybody to worship him.

“It is not easy to be a public officer and the people decide to honour you. Let me thank the Ogu council of chiefs and the entire community who insisted that their son should be honoured.

“You have refused politics to divide you. It shows that you have the interest of your community in mind. I came because I respect people, who appreciate what God has used people to do for them.

“God uses people to help others. So when you have been helped, you appreciate them. God will know you have appreciated him. Nobody can worship man. All of us believe that it is only God we will worship.

“As politicians we appreciate people who have helped us. When I came to ask you to support me, you supported me. Did I worship you? Did I ask you to worship me? If you had not supported me, I would not have been where I am. Did you tell me to worship you? So where does the issue of worship come from?

“It is not easy to be in power and begin to give excuses. You continue to run away from promises you made to people. Look at all the council chairmen, the assembly members; these were people I spoke to for the interest of all of us.

“They all responded but today somebody said they are nobody. Will you accept that? Assembly people sat down in their various constituencies. You never brought a dime. I never knew you were rich that your father was a managing director of shell before and now you are paying their school fees. It is unfortunate.”

Wike also told the embattled state lawmakers not to be afraid as nobody would remove them as assembly members.

“Don’t be afraid nobody will remove you as a lawmaker. Most of you don’t understand. This is our work. Our business is to make them to fear.

“That is what I am doing. We will make them to be angry everyday and they will continue to make mistakes,” he said.