By Micah Jonah, March 10, 2026
The Rivers State House of Assembly has rejected four out of nine commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara for screening and confirmation.
The lawmakers, however, approved five nominees after a screening exercise that lasted more than two hours during plenary on Monday.
Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, said the four nominees were rejected due to poor performance during the screening process and controversies surrounding their documentation and qualifications.
According to him, the House concluded that the nominees did not sufficiently demonstrate readiness to serve in the Rivers State Executive Council.
Those whose nominations were rejected include Prof Datonye Alasia, Tamuno Williams, Otonye Amachree and Charity Deemua.
The nominees cleared by the Assembly are Tonye Belgam, Prof Temple Nwafor, Dr Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth and Amarigha Edward Hart.
During the screening, lawmakers questioned Deemua over inconsistencies in her tax clearance documents. She told the House she had not updated her tax payments since 2018, explaining that she was a politician and did not have a formal job generating taxable income.
The Speaker challenged the explanation, noting that the nominee had previously held public positions that attracted payment. Deemua later apologised during the session.
Another nominee, Tamuno Williams, was unable to recite the second stanza of the national anthem when asked during the screening exercise. Lawmakers also noted that petitions had been submitted against another nominee, Otonye Amachree.
Following deliberations, the Assembly directed the Clerk to forward its resolution confirming the five successful nominees to the Governor for further action, including their swearing in as members of the Rivers State Executive Council.
The House later adjourned plenary to March 17, 2026.
