The Rivers State House of Assembly has declined to confirm four out of the nine commissioner nominees submitted by Siminalayi Fubara, following a screening exercise held on Monday.
After a session that lasted more than two hours, lawmakers approved five of the nominees to serve as commissioners in the state executive council.
The plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, ended with the confirmation of Tonye Belgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amarigha Edward-Hart as commissioners-designate.
Amaewhule stated that the resolution of the House would be formally transmitted to the governor, urging him to proceed with swearing in the confirmed nominees.
“I will write to the governor requesting that the five confirmed nominees be sworn in as soon as possible,” the Speaker said.
The Rejection
However, the Assembly rejected four nominees — Prof. Datonye Alasia, Tamuno Williams, Otonye T.K.D. Amachree, and Charity Deemua — citing unsatisfactory performances during the screening and controversies surrounding some of their credentials.
According to Amaewhule, the lawmakers were not convinced that the rejected candidates possessed the capacity required to serve in the state executive council.
“At the end of the screening exercise, five nominees were confirmed. For the remaining four, the House decided to step back due to their poor performance and the issues raised about their documents,” he explained.
He further stressed that the nominees failed to demonstrate the competence and readiness expected of individuals seeking appointment into such key positions.
“They could not convince this Assembly that they are prepared or capable of serving Rivers State effectively. In our view, they were not the right fit for the offices they sought,” he added.
One of the rejected nominees, Charity Deemua, faced tough questioning from lawmakers over discrepancies in her tax records.
Tax Clearance
During the session, she admitted that her tax clearance had not been updated since December 31, 2018, explaining that she had no formal employment.
“I’m a politician and I don’t have an office or a regular job. Tax is generated from income,” she told the Assembly.
Her response prompted a sharp reaction from the Speaker, who asked whether being a politician meant she had not earned any income for nearly eight years.
“Madam, you are under oath. Are you telling Rivers people that you have had no income from 2018 to 2026?” Amaewhule asked.
Following further questioning, Deemua later apologised to the House.
Another nominee, Tamuno Williams, also struggled during the screening when he was unable to recite the second stanza of Nigeria’s national anthem after being asked by the House Leader, Major Jack.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Complaints and Petitions, Dr. Enemi George, revealed that more than ten petitions had been filed against nominee Otonye Amachree, including an additional electronic petition submitted during the screening session.
In a statement issued after the plenary by the Speaker’s media aide, Martin Wachukwu, the Assembly said the exercise was conducted in accordance with 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, specifically Section 192.
The statement explained that the screening process examined each nominee’s educational background, professional experience, tax compliance status, and petitions submitted by members of the public.
Amaewhule noted that the legislative scrutiny was necessary to ensure that only qualified individuals are appointed to help drive governance in Rivers State.
Also Read: Why Petrol Prices Are Rising Despite the Dangote Refinery
The House subsequently directed the Clerk of the Assembly to forward its resolution confirming the five nominees to the governor for the next steps.