Rivers
LG Boss Woos Investors
The Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Maclean Uranta, says the area is open to investment by any investor wishing to partner with the council.
To this end, the council is prepared to provide enabling environment for development partners with genuine interest in projects and programmes that would impact on the people.
Hon Uranta who disclosed this when a team from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Local Government and RUWASA visited Opobo town on an assessment tour of water, sanitation and health facilities in the area said that his administration had provided well-treated water for some communities in the local government area.
The council boss announced that his administration had commenced the construction of modern toilets with conducive effluent discharge to phase out what he described as hazardous pier latrine system and urged WHO and other organizations to match words with action by providing potable water to reduce the sufferings of the people in that regard.
Earlier, during a courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of Opobo kingdom, King Dandeson Jaja, the monarch appealed to the team to expedite action on its programmes for the people, pointing out that potable water and good sanitary condition would be beneficial to the people of his kingdom to reduce illness and death.
The leader of the team and project manager of RUWASA, Mr. F.O. Odungweru expressed satisfaction with the facilitates put in place by the Opobo/Nkoro Council, saying that WHO and European Union (EU) were serious in improving the water, sanitation and health situations in the area hence the choice of the local government area among the five States of the South South region.
According to him, funds have been lodged in special accounts only to be fully accessed by the benefitting local government areas after paying their counterpart funds and making the necessary provision, and promised that the team would do its best to ensure that the counterpart fund from the State was also paid.
Shedie Okpara
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