The Rivers State House of Assembly has rejected the 19 commissioners appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to serve in his government.
In a letter dated March 5 and signed by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, gave the governor 48 hours to submit a new list of commissioner nominees for screening and confirmation.
They accused Fubara of unlawfully swearing in the commissioners and other appointees without the legislative screening and confirmation stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
The governor swore in 13 commissioners between May and August last year after they were confirmed by his loyalists in the House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The Supreme Court last Friday ordered the Amaewhule-led Assembly to resume sitting.
The apex court also ordered the Federal Government to withhold financial allocations to Rivers State until Fubara submits the 2025 budget to the 27 lawmakers who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October 2023.
The court equally nullified local government elections conducted by the state government on October 5 last year.
The letter read: “That another infraction of the law is the swearing in of Lawrence Oko-Jaja as Chairman; Earnest Ibekwe Ekwe; Mina Ogbanga; Iseleye Amachree and Adokiye Oyagiri as members of the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement on Friday 30th of August 2024 without screening and confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly as stipulated in Section 4(a) of the Rivers State Public Procurement Law No. 4 of 2008. Others are Gift Alex-Hart, Grace Osaronu, and Selinah Amonieah.
“That the swearing-in of Goodlife Ben as chairman; Emmanuel Jaja, Betty Warmate; Jerome Chimenem; Prince Ohochukwu; Philip Okparaji and Christian Amadi as members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission without screening and confirmation contrary to Section 44(3) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 is another infraction.
“That these appointments by you that are highlighted and other appointments made but not mentioned here for want of space that are not in consonance with extant laws are not only infractions but are seriously threatening our nascent democracy so, should and shall be remedied.
“That the House requests you to submit a list of nominees for appointment as commissioners into the Rivers State Executive Council as well as list of nominees for appointment to fill vacancies in all the offices mentioned above or those not listed but require screening and confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly within 48 hours.”
Source: Ripples
