Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara
Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday screened nine commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, confirming five and rejecting four after several hours of questioning and debate in Port Harcourt.
Lawmakers called the nominees one after another to defend their qualifications and respond to concerns raised by members during the exercise.
The House eventually approved Tonye Bellgam, Professor Temple Nwofor, Dr Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth, and Amairigha Edward Hart, while Professor Datonye Alasia, Charity Deemua, Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree were rejected.
Professor Datonye Alasia, a medical doctor and professor of medicine, was among the first nominees to face the lawmakers. He was questioned over discrepancies on his birth certificate and the absence of a tax clearance certificate.
Explaining the issue, he said, “The mutilation on the birth certificate may have come from the doctor who signed it at the time.”
He also apologised for the missing document, stating, “I sincerely apologise for not attaching the tax clearance certificate before handing over the documents to the Sergeant-at-Arms.”
When asked about his contributions to the state despite his international engagements, Alasia added, “As a nephrologist, I have trained many consultants and doctors in the university. That is part of my contribution to Rivers State.”
However, Honourable Peter Abbey opposed his confirmation, saying, “Based on his responses here today, I move that Professor Datonye Alasia should not be confirmed,” a motion the House later adopted.
Other nominees faced similar scrutiny during the screening.
Professor Temple Nwofor, a civil engineering professor from Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area, assured lawmakers he would respect budgetary processes, saying, “I don’t think I will involve myself in any project that is not contained in the budget.”
His response earned him confirmation alongside Peters Nwagor, a mathematician and Associate Dean at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, and Tonye Bellgam, who holds a master’s degree in Project Management with extensive oil and gas industry experience. Chartered accountant Lekue Kenneth, currently serving as senior project accountant on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, and private sector executive Amairigha Edward Hart were also confirmed.
Tension rose during the appearance of Mrs Charity Deemua, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission, who was questioned over conflicting birth records and missing tax documents.
Responding to questions about her professional background, she said, “I’m a politician, I don’t have work,” prompting the Speaker to reply, “So politicians don’t pay tax?” She was eventually rejected alongside Tamuno Williams, a lawyer and former local government chairman who defended himself against allegations of criticising the Assembly, saying, “First of all, I can never talk down on this House. My comments were based on legal jurisprudence.” Senior lawyer Otonye Amachree was also rejected after facing petitions linked to a Kalabari regency legal dispute.
At the end of the exercise, the Speaker announced that the House would notify Governor Fubara of its decision, stating, “We will write to His Excellency to swear in the five confirmed nominees as soon as possible.”
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