Rivers
Arts Council Strategises For CARNIRIV
Ahead of the 2013 edition of the Rivers State CARNIRIV, a yearly cultural fiesta, billed to commence in December, the Executive Director of the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, Chief Deede Baedee has called for the active participation of the State Arts Council in the cultural event.
Chief Baedee disclosed this during a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt recently.
The director who decried the under-utilisation of the state Arts Council in the past editions of CARNIRIV in the state, noted that the State Arts Council was supposed to play a complementary role to the Tourism Development Agency to effect a balance in exploring the tourism and cultural components of the yearly carnival.
Describing the State Council for Arts and Culture as the institutional foundation for cultural development in the state, he pointed out that the active involvement of the council in grand cultural events, such as CARNIRIV would not only stimulate cultural growth, but also boost research and development in the sustenance of the cultural potentials of the state.
As part of efforts to engender a stronger foundation for cultural development in the state, the director said the council was already building alliance with indigenous artists in the state through partnership.
He said the development was recently unveiled through a maiden arts exhibition in Port Harcourt by the collaborative partners.
He emphasized that Rivers State was blessed with enormous cultural potentials which could be properly harnessed through collaborative effort as an alternative to oil in revenue generation, and commended the vision of the Rivers State Government in attaching importance to cultural development.
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