Rivers
‘No Plan To Slash Workers’ Pay’
The Rivers State Government says it has no immediate plan to cut down the salaries of workers of the state-owned tertiary institutions.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, gave the clarification in Port Harcourt last Thursday.
She said that the rumour of an impending pay cut for workers of the state-owned tertiary institutions was false, adding that the State Head of Service observed some inconsistencies in the payment of salaries to workers in some tertiary institutions in the state.
“I hear that already, some people are brandishing leaflets and telling ASUU that the state government wants to slash salaries of lecturers in our higher institutions and this is very, very mischievous and unacceptable because there is no such thing. “The government of Rivers State is not slashing salaries; it is not cutting salaries of anybody.
Semenitari said Gov. Amaechi charged the Head of Service and the unions to look into it and find out what was happening.
The commissioner said some people gave wrong information to Academic Staff Union of Universities in government-owned higher institutions that there are plans to slash their pay.
On the status of the state-owned Jet, Semenitari said it was still packed in a hanger at the Nigerian Air Force base in Port Harcourt.
She said government was still waiting for compliance and had not received any brief or advice that the ban had been lifted.
“We were told that there was some penalty and we were waiting to be told what penalty is, so that we can make payment as appropriate, so that the aircraft can be released.
“We are yet to be briefed appropriately by the relevant authorities. We have tried to engage them and at the last engagement, we were told to go and wait and they would contact us when they have been directed to do so,’’ she said.
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