Assembly rejects commissioner nominee over disrespect to lawmakers

There was mild drama on the floor of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly following the refusal of the legislators to screen and clear a commissioner-nominee for the Local Government Service Commission, Ms Grace Ekiotene, over alleged disrespect to members.

Ekiotene, who is the immediate past Commissioner for Transport in the state before she resigned to contest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for the state assembly and lost, was accused of undermining the power of the legislature on several occasions.

She was alleged to have shunned the members of the Bayelsa State Assembly Committee on Transport on several occasions while in office as commissioner thereby allegedly frustrating their oversight functions.

However, other nominees, including Mr Stanley Braboke and Odudu Awipi were screened and confirmed as Commissioner and a member of the Local Government Service Commission. 

It was gathered that the State House of Assembly however set up an ad-hoc committee headed by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Michael Ogbere, to look into the reasons behind the stepping down of the confirmation of Ms. Grace Ekiotene.