Rivers
Rivers, ECOWAS Partner On Malaria Eradication
Rivers State Government and the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), has begun collaboration to build a new mosquitoe biolarvicide factory to curb malaria in the sub-region.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, made the revealation during a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt last Tuesday.
The factory Dr Parker revealed is to be run on a 50 to 50 basis and which is capable of creating over 500 jobs for indigenes.
Explaining the rationale why the government is collaborating with the sub-regional body, the Commissioner stated that the cost of importing the chemical from far away Cuba is huge hence its better to set up a factory close where it can serve Nigeria and the entire ECOWAS states.
His words,” When we came, ECOWAS said we can eliminate malaria and we added to it the biolarvicides and we were working with the Cuban government through their company Labiofam and for some period we used aircraft to spray, health officials were also at work in the effort to kill the larvae of mosquitoes at every mosquito breeding sites including lakes, overhead tanks etc.’’
Dr. Parker explained that the introduction of the simple strategy assisted the state government in curbing the menace and which made the state to clinch first position consecutively in malaria elimination nationwide in 2009 and 2012.
This feat, he stressed, prompted ECOWAS to commence talks on how to build a factory in the state to feed other parts of the region where malaria spread is high.
He however pointed out that the citizenry has a huge task to ensure the malaise is checked, as he underscored the importance of sanitation and environmental hygiene,” even a small piece of pure water can gather water’’.
For him, while the government has about 20 per cent role the citizens have about 80 percent as he harped on more publicity to raise public awareness. Apart from malaria, Dr Parker stated that mosquito is also responsible for the recent lymphatic filariasis(local elephantiasis) and yellow fever and therefore called on the citizenry to join the fight to eliminate malaria and other vectors of diseases in the environment.
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