The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday confirmed five of the nine commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, rejecting four others after what lawmakers described as a rigorous screening exercise.
The screening session, which lasted over two hours and was held at the Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt, was presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule.
At the end of the exercise, the House approved the nominations of Prof. Datonye Alasia, Mr. Tonye Bellgam, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mrs. Charity Deemua and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart as commissioners-designate.
The Assembly, however, declined to confirm four other nominees, citing poor performance during the screening as well as concerns over petitions and documentation issues surrounding their nominations.
Addressing lawmakers during plenary, Amaewhule said the House carefully evaluated the nominees’ responses and credentials before arriving at its decision.
“Distinguished colleagues, we have nine nominees forwarded to this Assembly by the governor. At the end of the screening exercise, the House has confirmed five of them,” the Speaker said.
He added that the rejected nominees failed to sufficiently demonstrate their readiness and capacity to serve in the state executive council.
“And four of them the House has chosen to take a deep breath given their poor performance and controversies surrounding either their documents. They have not been able to show this august Assembly that they are indeed prepared to serve Rivers State or that they are able,” he stated.
According to him, the Assembly concluded that the affected nominees were not suitable for the positions they were nominated to occupy.
“We feel that they are not square pegs in square holes for the offices that they intend to occupy in the Rivers State Executive Council,” Amaewhule said.
Following the decision, the Speaker announced that the Assembly would formally communicate its resolution to the governor.
He added that the House would request the governor to proceed with the swearing-in of the five confirmed nominees.
“On that note, I will forward a letter to the governor and ask him to swear in the five nominees as soon as possible,” he said.
After concluding deliberations on the nominations, the House adjourned plenary until March 17, 2026.
The screening exercise comes weeks after Governor Fubara dissolved the state executive council in February, a move widely linked to the political truce brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at easing tensions within the state’s political leadership.
With the confirmation of five commissioners, the governor is expected to begin reconstituting the cabinet as part of efforts to stabilise governance in the state following months of political turbulence.
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