Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State

The Plateau House of Assembly on Tuesday screened and confirmed 20 nominees for appointment as commissioners.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov Simon Lalong forwarded the list of the nominees on Feb. 21, 2018, less than two weeks after he dissolved the entire cabinet on Feb. 8.

A correspondent, who covered the screening, reports that the lawmakers subjected the nominees to intensive scrutiny before unanimously confirming them via a voice vote.

NAN also reports that of the 20 nominees confirmed, nine were among those dropped on Feb. 8, while 11 were freshers.

The confirmation of 20 nominees brings the total number of commissioners-designate to 23 as three other nominees were earlier forwarded to the House on Feb. 13, and cleared the next day.

Speaker Peter Azi, in a brief address to the nominees, advised them to be good ambassadors of Plateau and strive to make a difference.

Azi advised those eyeing elective offices in the 2019 election to reject the appointment so as to fully concentrate on the assignment at hand.

NAN reports that Lalong, whose administration started with 17 commissioners in 2015, created six additional ministries last week, bringing the total to 23.

Meanwhile, the 17 APC lawmakers in the House on Tuesday passed a vote of confidence on Lalong, and urged him to re-contest the governorship seat in 2019.

This followed a motion presented during plenary by Mr Ibrahim Baba-Hassan, member representing Jos North-North constituency.

According to Baba-Hassan, the governor has done so well and will do even more if given a fresh mandate.

Majority Leader of the House, Mr Henry Yunkwap, who supported the motion, agreed that the governor had performed credibly “especially in the equitable distribution of resources”.

On his part, Mr Yusuf Gagdi (APC/Kanam) said that he had been mandated by his constituents to plead with Lalong to seek a fresh mandate so as to deliver more democracy dividends to the people.

NAN reports that PDP members in the House, led by the Minority Leader, Mr Daniel Dem, staged a walkout from the chamber when the motion was raised in the 24-member house.