Rivers
Labour Hails Stoppage Of Salary Deductions

Board members and management of Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority during the Rededication Service of the authority in Port Harcourt recently.
The Rivers State Joint
Public Negotiating Council has commended the state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his decision to stop further deduction on civil servants salaries.
The chairman of the council, Comrade Chukwu Emecheta who said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, noted that the Governor’s decision showed his sensitivity to the welfare of workers in the state.
Emecheta also said that the present minimum wage as approved by the federal government had not improved the condition of workers across the country, stating that the present salary structures had made an average civil servant poorer in view of the rising of prices of goods in the country.
The council chairman also urged the Federal Government to refund all monies spent by the Rivers State Government on federal projects in the state.
He said the refund would help the government to develop other sectors of the economy and described Governor Amaechi’s presence at this year’s civil servants prayer/dedication rally as very significant.
“I want to say that the occasion is significant because it is the second time Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is making himself available to speak with civil servants at the beginning of the year as to reappraise the past year and the year ahead”.
He said that the development had given renewed hope to workers in the state and further cemented the harmonious relationship between workers and the Governor.
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