The Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) has rejected four out of nine nominees submitted by Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, for screening and confirmation as commissioners.
During plenary on Monday, the Assembly confirmed five of the nominees as commissioner-designates, citing poor performance, petitions and controversies surrounding submitted documents as reasons for rejecting the other four, including Prof. Datonye Dennis Alasia, the immediate past Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
The nominees confirmed as commissioner-designates are Mr. Tonye Belgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mr. Lekue Kenneth and Sir Amairigha Edward-Hart.
However, Prof. Datonye Alasia, Mrs. Charity Deemua, Mr. Tamuno Williams and Barr. Otonye T.K.D. Amachree were rejected.
The lawmakers cited “poor performance” as the reason for declining confirmation of Prof. Alasia, while Mrs. Deemua was rejected for failing to present her tax clearance documents.
Mr. Williams was accused of previously misleading the public regarding the activities of the Assembly, while Barr. Amachree was dismissed following more than 11 petitions allegedly submitted against him by members of communities in the Kalabari Kingdom over his involvement in community-related disputes.
The lawmakers emphasized that the decision was taken to uphold high standards of integrity and competence in appointments into the state executive council.
Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, said the names of the five cleared nominees would be forwarded to Governor Fubara for appointment as commissioners.
The Assembly thereafter adjourned plenary to March 17, 2026.
Recall that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had on February 12, 2026, dissolved the state executive council three days after a reconciliatory meeting convened by Bola Tinubu with Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja, alongside other stakeholders from the state
