Rivers Assembly Rejects Four of Fubara’s Commissioner-Nominees, Confirms Five Others

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday declined to confirm four commissioner-nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, following hours of rigorous screening broadcast live on television.

The nominees rejected by the lawmakers were Datonye Alaska, TKD Amachree, Charity Demua, and Tamuno Williams. Five others—Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart—were, however, approved.

The screening exercise took place at the Assembly chamber along Aba Road in Port Harcourt and involved detailed questioning on academic qualifications, work experience, tax compliance, and past public conduct. Observers noted that the outcome may indicate a lack of adequate consultation between the executive, the legislature, and other political stakeholders before the governor forwarded the nominees.

Lawmakers suggested that some nominees’ roles during the recent political crisis in the state influenced their rejection. Tamuno Williams, a lawyer and former Chairman of Okrika Local Government Area, faced intense questioning over comments he allegedly made in the media against the House of Assembly. Williams, previously a vocal supporter of Governor Fubara, was accused of publicly criticising the Assembly and taking legal positions later overturned by court judgments.

A tense exchange occurred between Williams and Speaker Martin Amaewhule, who confronted the nominee over his media statements. Williams declined to respond directly, stating, “Mr Speaker, I will not argue with this House,” after which the Speaker concluded the matter.

Similarly, TKD Amachree, also a lawyer from the Kalabari axis, faced scrutiny following the submission of more than 15 petitions against him over alleged involvement in community disputes, leading to his nomination being stood down.

Datonye Alaska, a professor of medicine and former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, was criticised for poor performance during the screening and raised concerns over inconsistencies in his official documents, including alleged alterations to his birth certificate and discrepancies in the spelling of his name.

Charity Demua, the only female nominee rejected, stunned lawmakers when she admitted she had not paid taxes since 2018, explaining, “I didn’t have work. I am a politician.” Speaker Amaewhule questioned whether she was implying that politicians are exempt from paying tax.

Speaking after the exercise, Speaker Amaewhule praised members of the Assembly for their diligence. “We have nine nominees forwarded to this Assembly by the governor. At the end of this screening, the House has confirmed five of them. But the House had chosen to take a deep breath on four of them following their poor performance and controversies surrounding their documents,” he said.