THE Rivers State House of Assembly has invited nine former commissioners who resigned from their positions last year for rescreening and reconfirmation.
The ex-commissioners who had earlier been sworn in resigned at the peak of the crisis between the present governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
They are expected to appear before the House on Wednesday.
This was disclosed in a statement signed on Monday, January 15, in Port Harcourt by Emeka Amadi, the Clerk of the House.
The clerk listed the commissioners expected to appear before the House are Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Woke, Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Inime Aguma, Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), and Commissioner for Works, Des George-Kelly.
Others are the Commissioner for Transport, Commissioner for Education, Chinedu Mmom, Commissioner for Housing, Gift Worlu Jacobson Nbina and Commissioner for Environment, Austin Ben-Chioma.
According to the statement, they are expected to produce 40 sets of their Curriculum Vitae, photocopies, and original copies of their credentials to the State House of Assembly and Legislative Quarters (venue for the screening).
Notably, a wave of resignations rocked the State’s Executive Council on December 16, 2023, due to the political impasse between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Governor Nyesom Wike.
President Bola Tinubu had waded into the crisis and reached a peace agreement between the duo, leading to the signing of an eight-point resolution.
One of the conditions of President Tinubu’s peace accord with Fubara was the reinstatement of the previous commissioners who had quit their positions.
The ICIR reported that during the crisis, Fubara presented the 2024 budget to only five members of the state House of Assembly.
He reportedly presented the budget at the state’s Government House.
The presentation occurred hours after his government demolished the state House of Assembly building on Wednesday, December 13.
The budget was signed into law a few days later.
The development came two days after 27 out of the 32 state House of Assembly members defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A reporter with the ICIR
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