Rivers
HOS Orders Stoppage Of Deductions From Workers’ Salaries
The Rivers State Head of Service (HOS), Barr Samuel LongJohn has directed that deductions made from workers salaries in respect of a purported loan facility granted to some civil servants by a Cooperative Society be stopped immediately.
Barr LongJohn gave the directive yesterday at a meeting with supposed beneficiaries of the loan for the sale of land facilitated by the Unique Port Harcourt Civil Servants Cooperative Society Limited.
He said based on the findings of a committee set up to look into the veracity of the operations of the Cooperative Society, it was discovered that their activities were inconsistent with the laws guiding Cooperative Societies in the State, citing Section 33 of the Cooperative Societies Laws of Rivers State which prohibits such organisations from granting loans to persons outside their membership.
The Head of Service cited the case of Medical Doctors in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital who organised themselves into a cooperative in order to secure loans from a bank for the purchase of plots of land, noting that the management of the institution was notified of the transaction and every document kept in their custody.
He said in the present instance, the president of the Unique Port Harcourt Civil Servants Cooperative Society, who was also a member of the committee set up to look into their activities, failed to furnish members of the committee with relevant documents relating to their operations and the land transactions with civil servants.
Barr LongJohn noted that in view of the findings of the committee, which described the operations of the cooperative society as ‘utterly irregular’, he has directed that further deductions be stopped immediately, adding that refunds of unremitted monies deducted would be made to those affected as soon as details of the deductions were made available to his office by the Ministry of Finance.
“I want to say that the aim of the transaction is commendable but the method is wrong, I have therefore directed that further deductions be stopped immediately”, the Head of Service said.

L-R: Regional Vahana Team Leader (RVTL), Henry Alapiki, Regional ECK Spiritual Aide (RESA), Ifeatu Areh, Guest Speaker, Jassie Kurr, President, Dolly Esindu, and Spiritual Services Director, Tony Nwaokolobia, ECKANKAR, Nigeria, during the unveiling of the new Regional ECK Spiritual Aide (RESA) in Port Harcourt recently.
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