Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed thirteen out of the 14 names of commissioner nominees forwarded to the state house by the Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri.
The 14 nominees’ names were forwarded by Governor Douye Diri for appointment as commissioners and members of the State Executive Council.
The thirteen nominees were on the list of the first batch of the screening exercise presided over by the Speaker of the House, Hon.Abraham Ngobere, on Thursday.
The nominees included eight names that served in the first term of the governor while six new names were added.
At the screening on Thursday, one of the nominees, Mr Daniel Igali who was Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the first term of Diri was absent while Mrs Koku Ebiuwou Obiyai, a former Assembly member, was asked to bow and leave.
The screened nominees include immediate past commissioners, Moses Teibowei (Work and Infrastructure), Biriyai Dambo (Attorney General of Justice), Maxwell Ebibai (Finance), Dr Emelah Gentle (Education), Brodrick Preye (Special Duty East), and Dr Ebieri Jones (Mineral Resources).
Others were George Flint, Komuko Akari Kharin, Perepuighe Biewari, Peter Afagha, Mrs Elizabeth Bidei and a former council chairman, Michael Magbisa.
During the exercise, which lasted for about four hours, the nominees were asked various questions that bothered on their professional competences, experiences and capacity to serve the state
The Deputy Speaker, Hon Michael Ogbere enjoined the nominees to work as a team with those they will meet on the ground, and remain loyal to the government at all times.
The leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Monday-Bubou Edwin Obolo, said the people of the state expect a lot from them noting that the House will do its best to keep them on their toes, through its oversight functions while giving them the needed legislative support where necessary.
