Rivers
Commissioner Reads Riot Act To Firemen
The Rivers State Government has warned men and officers
of the State Fire Service to improve their services or be prepared to quit.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Dickson
Umunakwe, who read the riot act during his first official visit to the Fire
Service on Monday, said that it would no longer be business as usual.
He advised the staff to shape off or ship out, stating
that Governor Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was very passionate about the
state of the fire service.
Barrister Umunakwe said that the administration was out
to correct the wrong perception of the public about the State Fire Service, and
assured that all the challenges facing the effective operation of the service
will be tackled.
He said Ministry of Special Duties would liaise with the
Ministries of Urban Development and Environment to create right of ways for
fire service trucks during emergency cases.
According to him, a legislation to check the
indiscriminate burning of refuse in residential areas would be sponsored by the
Ministry, while efforts would be made to compel property developers to adhere
to safety standards in the state.
In an interview with newsmen, the commissioner
identified the problems of the State Fire Service to include incompetence on
the part of staff.
He said that the Ministry would enter into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some corporate organizations in the
country, with a view to ensuring efficient fire fighting in the state.
Rivers
Rivers CJ To Sanction Lawyers Who Refuse To Comply With ADR Compliance
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi