Port Harcourt – The Rivers State House of Assembly has declined confirmation for four of Governor’s Wike’s commissioner-nominees following extensive questioning during a televised screening session.
The nominees who were not confirmed are 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 approved for appointment.
The rejections were attributed to a combination of poor performance during questioning, controversies surrounding their documents, and perceived past political conduct. For instance, Tamuno Williams, a lawyer and former Chairman of Okirika Local Government Area, faced criticism for his previous public opposition to the House. During the screening, a tense exchange occurred between him and Speaker Amarachukwu Amaewhule over his prior media statements.
TKD Amachree was stood down after lawmakers reviewed multiple petitions against him related to community disputes, while Charity Demua, the only female nominee, admitted to not paying taxes since 2018, undermining confidence in her readiness for office. Prof. Alasia, a medical scholar and former Deputy Chief Medical Director at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, was rejected over discrepancies in his documents and other inconsistencies noted during the screening.
Speaker Amaewhule praised the lawmakers for diligently performing their constitutional duties, emphasizing that the nominees who failed the screening had not demonstrated the competence or preparedness required to serve Rivers State effectively.
He further stated that the resolutions of the House would be forwarded to the Governor, who is expected to swear in the five approved nominees while withholding appointments for the four who were not cleared.
