By SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—Edo State law-makers were involved in a shouting bout, yesterday, when the Chairman of the Committee and Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, submitted the report on the 19 commissioner-nominees screened by the House of Assembly.

Submitting the report, Shuaibu said that out of the 19 names submitted by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the committee screened 18, while the nominee from Akoko Edo, Aanena Jemitola, absented herself from the screening and, according to him, did not even submit her curricula vitae.

He informed members, that 18 nominees, including the former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Osarodion Ogie, who was asked to take a bow when he made himself available before the committee, former Commissioner for Environment, Clem Agba, former Education Commissioner, Omorotionwa Ekpenisi, and others, were all qualified for the job, therefore, they should be confirmed, noting that the committee investigated the petitions against Omorotionwa and Agba and found them “frivolous and untrue.”

However, trouble started when the Speaker, Mr, Uyi Igbe, asked members to comment on the report of the Committee. The member representing Akoko Constituency 11, Mr. Bamidele Olorotunba, where Jemitola hails from, expressed disappointment that it was only the nominee from his area that could not make her self available for the screening and suggested that “we submitted five names, Mr Speaker, one of them should be used to replace her.”

But the Speaker came to her defence, saying that she had informed the House of her ill health and that she will make herself available today. Apparently not convinced with the Speaker’s defense, following disclosure by Shuaibu that the House was in possession of seven petitions against her, Bamidele stood his ground that she should be replaced but was shouted down by other lawmakers, including the Speaker.