Seventeen individuals nominated by President Bola Tinubu to head major agencies in Rivers State have declared their assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau, fulfilling a constitutional requirement ahead of their confirmation process.

The nominees—proposed for appointments to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the Civil Service Commission, and the Local Government Service Commission—also received security clearance from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police.

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this during a screening session conducted by the Senate ad hoc committee overseeing the activities of the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

The screening follows the President’s recent submission of the nominees’ names to the Senate, just a week prior.

The five nominees for the Rivers State Civil Service Commission include:

Dr. Barikor Baribuma (Chairman)

Lot Egopija

Ms. Maeve Ere-Bestman

Mrs. Joy Obiaju

Mrs. Charity Lloyd Harry

For the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the seven nominees are:

Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman)

Mr. Lezaasi Torbira

Prof. Arthur Nwafor

Prof. Godfrey Mbudiogha

Prof. Joyce Akaniwor

Dr. (Mrs.) Olive A. Bruce

Prof. Chidi Halliday

Another seven were nominated for the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission:

Israel N. Amadi (Chairman)

Linus Nwandem

Lady Christabel George-Didia

Dr. Tonye Willie Pepple

Richard Ewoh

Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ofik (rtd)

Sammy Apiafi

These nominees were introduced to the Senate committee by Basheer Lado, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, who categorized them according to their respective commissions.

The screening of nominees for the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Senator Bamidele, who also chairs the 18-member committee, reiterated the Senate’s dedication to safeguarding democratic governance in the resource-rich state.

He stated:
“I wish to inform my distinguished colleagues and the general public that all nominees present today have undergone thorough security vetting by the DSS and the Nigerian Police, with none flagged for any concern.

“Additionally, they have complied with the constitutional requirement to declare their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau.”

The Senator from Ekiti further noted that there were no petitions filed against any of the nominees, indicating a smooth screening process.

“Once we conclude today’s exercise, we will compile our findings and present our recommendations to the Senate for final confirmation,” he added.