Rivers
Traders Deny Alleged Perfume Levy In Mile 3 Market

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (right), presenting a souvenir to Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (middle), during a courtesy call by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta to the Governor at Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday. With them is Acting Managing Director NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari
Hundreds of traders from
Mile 3 Market in Diobu, Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State have denied reports in the media that, they were asked to pay the sum of N2,000 each for the governors perfume as alleged by some women.
Last Tuesday, some women who claimed to be traders of Mile 3 Market, alleged that a taskforce set up by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Port Harcourt imposed various levies on them including N2,000 for the purchase of perfume for the state governor.
It was against this background Mile 3 market traders turned out in their numbers last Friday to debunk the alleged N2,000 levy said to have been collected by the council’s taskforce.
The spokesman of the traders, and coordinator of Rivers State Traders Association (RISTA) Hon. Edi Bright Chinedu described the allegation of N2,000 for the governor’s perfume by the women as false and baseless.
According to him, a thorough investigation was carried out by the executive of RITA, CTC of the Port Harcourt City Council’s and other stakeholders to ascertain the truth, but the finding revealed that no taskforce demanded N2,000 for the governor’s perfume.
The trader’s spokesman explained that actually there was a taskforce by the council to collect its usual yearly levies, which included sanitation, security and others enshrined in the council bye-laws, but there was no person or trader that was asked to pay N2,000 for the Governors perfume.
He described the last Tuesday protest by the women as politically motivated to tarnish the image of the state governor.
Also speaking CTC Chairman of Port Harcourt City Council, Mr Sunny Sam Ezekwu said, he was not aware of any extortion in Mile 3 market.
According to him, I will not hesitate to sack or dissolved any committee that is involved in illegality.
Enoch Epelle
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