The Senate has confirmed appointments of chairmen and board members of four agencies of Rivers State presented for confirmation by President Bola Tinubu.
The confirmation followed the presentation of the report on screening by the Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers at plenary in Abuja.
But some senators protested the appointment of a Cross River indigene as Chairman of Rivers Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The chairman of the committee, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) presented the report on their screening and asked that they be confirmed.
Those confirmed for Rivers Civil Service Commission were Dr Barikor Livinus Baribuma, Chairman, while Amb. Lot Peter Egopija, Ms Maeve Ere-Bestman, Mrs Joy Obiaju, Mrs Charity Lloyd Harry were members.
Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Dr Michael Ekpai Odey was confirmed as chairman, while Mr Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Prof. Arthur Nwafor, Prof. Godfrey Woke Mbudiogha, Prof. Joyce Akaniwor, Dr Olive A. Bruce, Prof. Chidi Halliday were confirmed as members.
Also confirmed for Rivers Local Government Service Commission as chairman was Mr Israel Amadi, with Mr Linus Nwandem, Christabel George-Didia, Dr Tonye D. Willie Pepple , Mr Richard U. Ewoh, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd),Mr Sammy Apiafi were confirmed as members.
For the Rivers Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr Dawari George, chairman, while Dr Chituru Adiele was confirmed as Executive Director, with Prof.Kaladada Korubp, Dr Benjamin Osarolaka Osaro, Mrs Anne Obomanu, Prof. Grace Robinson Bassey, Dr Mike Alagala and Mr Sunday Asetubobe confirmed as members.
Senate also confirmed the nomination of Mr Dagogo Alabo to represent the Ministry of Health and Ms Carmelita Ekenyi Agborubere, for the Ministry of Women Affairs.
Others equally confirmed were Mr James Ngochindo Epobari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance Mr Clifford Paul, representative ALGON in Rivers, Mr Luke Usang, representative of Local Government Civil Service Commission and Mr Romeo Osima Isokariari for Ministry of Justice.
Earlier, while presenting the report of committee’s screening on the nominees, Bamidele said that the nominees answered questions relevant to the areas of their appointments to the satisfaction of the committee.
He said that one nominee for the appointment as a member of the Rivers Primary Health Care Board, Victoria Poma Samuel, representing Ministry of Local Government Affairs as ex-official was stood down because she was not present for the screening.
Bamidele said all the nominees screened satisfied the requirements for appointment to occupy the offices of the chairmen and members of the boards and agencies in Rivers.
He said there was no petition against the nomination of any of the nominees, saying that security checks on the nominees did not reveal any negative traits against them.
He urged the Senate to approve their appointments.
However, Senators Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi), Ali Ndume(APC-Borno) and Abba Moro(PDP-Benue), raised concerns over the nomination for chairman of RSIEC, who is an indigene of Cross River, same state with the Rivers Sole Administrator.
Ningi said there were many competent Rivers indigenes that could be nominated for that position.
Ndume on his part said that the senate should not be quick to approve anything, saying that the senate should sometimes be guided by the dictates of the constitution.
The Chief Whip of Senate, Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno), said that the constitution remained the ground norm of the land, nothing that the nominee for the RSIEC chairman was not against provision of the law.
Explaining further justification for the nomination and screening of the nominee, Bamidele advised that the matter should not be politicised.
“I’m saying there is no room for grandstanding, however, rather than grandstand, if we as a parliament disagree with the court on this, what is expected of us is to bring the bill and legislate it into action”.
