By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia—ABIA State House of Assembly yesterday screened 15 of the 18 Commissioner nominees sent to them by Governor Theodore Orji. Those screened included Mr. John Nwokocha, an Assistant Editor with Vanguard Newspapers.
However, three of the 18 nominees were not on the list of nominees read out on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Chief Agwu U. Agwu. It was not possible at press time to ascertain why the three nominees were not invited.
Among those screened yesterday were Chief Johnny Ukpabi, Prince Emeka Okafor, both returnee Commissioners, John Nwokocha, Fidelis Nwachukwu, a former member of the House, who was sacked by the court, Engr. Charles Ojukwu, Joans Udeogu, a Permanent Secretary in charge of Ministry of Finance, and Mrs. Rose Ndimele, also, a former Commissioner in the state.
The outcome of the House’s screening will be made public next Tuesday, according to information from the House. They will send the confirmed names to the Governor for their inauguration and assignment of portfolio.
Governor Orji dissolved his cabinet in March shortly after winning his protracted legal battle against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal. Since then, the Governor has been running the administration without full executive council, until he submitted the Commissioner nominees to the house on May 29, 2009.
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