The Rivers State House of Assembly has declined the confirmation of four commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara after conducting a screening exercise for the candidates.
Gatekeepers News reports that during plenary in Port Harcourt, the lawmakers screened nine nominees forwarded by the Governor to join the state executive council. At the end of the exercise, the House approved five nominees but rejected four.
Those not confirmed by the Assembly include Prof. Datonye Alasia, Charity Deemua, Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree. Meanwhile, Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth, and Amairigha Edward-Hart were cleared and confirmed as commissioners-designate.
The nominees were questioned by lawmakers about their professional background, qualifications, and readiness to serve in the Rivers State cabinet. Some of the candidates reportedly faced concerns from legislators over their documentation and performance during the screening process.
Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, said the decision of the House followed deliberations by members after reviewing the responses and records of each nominee.
The Assembly is expected to formally communicate its decision to Governor Fubara, who will proceed with the swearing-in of the five confirmed nominees as members of the Rivers State Executive Council.
The development comes as part of efforts by the Governor to reconstitute his cabinet after dissolving the previous state executive council and forwarding a fresh list of nominees to the legislature for screening and confirmation.
