Rivers House Screens Nominees, Four Likely to Be Dropped

By Sammy Etuk Jnr

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday screened nine commissioner-nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, raising questions over their credentials and documents during the exercise.

The screening session was presided over by the Speaker, Martin Chike Amaewhule, who said the House decided to conduct a thorough exercise because lawmakers were elected by the people of Rivers State and must ensure that those nominated meet the expectations of their constituents.

“We were elected by the people of Rivers State and we must do justice to whoever is nominated so that we do not disappoint our constituents who expect much from us,” Amaewhule said.

During the exercise, Prof. Datonye Alasia was asked to explain discrepancies in his documents, including variations in his name and a mutilated birth certificate issued in 1973, although he stated that he was born in December 1972.

Lawmakers also raised issues with Charity Deemua, a former council official, over inconsistencies in her documents. Her local name appears on her NYSC discharge certificate, where her Christian name “Charity” appears only as an initial, while other documents bear her Christian name written in full. She told the Assembly that the names belong to her and explained that the variations resulted from how officials recorded them at different times.

There was also a discrepancy in her date of birth, as an affidavit presented 1954, while she stated that her actual year of birth is 1964, explaining that the earlier entry was connected to documentation done through her elder brother. She was also unable to present her tax clearance certificate during the screening.

Lawmakers also queried H. Tamuno Williams, Director of Legal Services at Rivers State University, over the timeline of his secondary school education. Members of the House pointed out that the years indicated in his records appeared inconsistent, but Williams maintained that he started secondary school in 1980 and completed it in 1986.

In the case of Otonye T.K.D. Amachree, a traditional chief and legal practitioner from the Kalabari Kingdom, the Assembly acknowledged 11 petitions against his nomination. Five of the petitions questioned his academic qualifications, but lawmakers dismissed them for lack of merit, noting that he is a qualified legal practitioner.

The remaining six petitions related to cases he handled. Amachree told the House that those matters had already been disposed of and that he had no intention of pursuing them further, adding that they would not affect his service if confirmed.

The nominees screened by the Assembly include:

Prof. Datonye Alasia

Tonye Bellgam

Prof. Temple Nwofor

Dr. Peters Nwagor

Charity Deemua

H. Tamuno Williams

Lekue Kenneth

Otonye T.K.D. Amachree

Sir Amairigha Edward Hart.

The lawmakers have forwarded the names of the five confirmed nominees to the governor, while their identities are expected to be formally disclosed by the government during the swearing-in ceremony.