Rivers
Mystery Fire Razes Palace, 30 Houses …Claim 61-yr-old Man
The Palace of Nyeweli, and paramount ruler of Rumuwoji community in Port Harcourt City Local Government of Rivers State, Eze John Dike mysteriously went up in flames at the weekend, with over 30 houses and shops stocked with goods worth millions of Naira destroyed.
The fire also claimed the life of a 61-year-old man, Mr. Monima George, a tenant in the yard.
The Tide learnt that the fire started at about 11pm on Sunday, a few hours after the monarch finished meeting with his tenants.
The Tide further learnt that a nearby warehouse stocked with items, particularly, provisions were also burnt.
An eye-witness said the late George had been ill for some months and could not escape during the inferno, adding that the monarch was hurriedly moved out of the house by one of the neighbours in the community.
Although the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, there are allegations that some dissident youth leaders of the community, who threatened the chief during a gathering were behind the attack.
It was alleged that prior to the incident, the monarch had received some threat text messages for his role in the dissolution of one Dickson Worlu-led youth care-taker executive in the area.
An indigene of the area, who spoke under anonymity said the fire was a reprisal attack from the dissolved youth executive.
According to him, since the monarch’s dissolution of the community youth leadership, things, have not been going well.
He disclosed that the trouble heightened on Sunday when the monarch and the elders wanted to hold a meeting at the community hall but could not have access to the venue as it was said to have been locked by the dissolved executive.
He further disclosed that the situation did not go down well with the Chief and Elders, which prompted the monarch to order that the hall be forced open to enable them have access to the area.
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