A commissioner-nominee in Rivers State sparked controversy during a screening session after defending the absence of recent tax records by stating that she had no formal employment because she is a politician.
The nominee, Charity Deemua, made the remark while appearing before the Rivers State House of Assembly during the screening of nine commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Lawmakers questioned Deemua after reviewing her tax clearance certificate, which reportedly had not been updated since 2018. In response, she explained that her status as a politician meant she did not have a conventional job that generated taxable income.
“As I said before, I’m a politician. We don’t have an office. I don’t have work. I think tax is generated from your income,” she told lawmakers during the session.
Her statement drew immediate scrutiny from members of the Assembly, including Speaker Martin Amaewhule, who questioned whether she had earned any income between 2018 and 2026 and asked if politicians were exempt from paying taxes.
Amaewhule also reminded the nominee that she was speaking under oath and cautioned against making statements that could misrepresent her financial status.
In her defence, Deemua later told lawmakers that she had previously served as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission and had also worked as a caretaker committee member in a local government council in 2025. She, however, argued that the payments received from those roles were not personal income.
At the end of the screening exercise, the Assembly confirmed five of the nine nominees while rejecting four, including Deemua. Lawmakers cited issues including inadequate documentation, unsatisfactory responses during screening, and petitions against some nominees.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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