Rivers
Citizen Raises Alarm Over Threat To Life
A concerned indigene of Rumuolumeni Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Daniel Ndamati, has alleged threat to his life and family by one Kingsley Chinedu Michael.
The Tide learnt that both Ndamati and Kingsley Chinedu Michael who hails from Anambra State were both neighbours at Chiwota Close, off Elioparanwo Road, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.
Ndamati told newsmen at the weekend that his neighbour who was a new comer to the estate was attempting to fence off a part of the Chiwota Road for himself on the spurious claims that he bought part of the road.
He said his protest over the purported action of Kingsley Chinedu Michael was responsible for the constant threat to his life and family.
Ndamati said the road which belongs to the Rivers State Government was opened 13years ago and tarred recently.
He said the matter was reported to the Rumuolumeni Police Division and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department while Chinedu went to Zone 16, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Ndamati said despite the pendency of the matter in court, he is being harassed and intimidated and appealed for the intervention of the Rivers State Government on the matter.
Also speaking, Barrister Victor .C. Oroko said the area in question falls within the road, adding that his client was in court to seek for a declaration that all that piece or parcel of land definite and measuring approximately 30ft by 20ft visibly and permanently attached and forming part of the road lying situate at Chiwota Close, off Chiwota Street at Elioparanwo Road, Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was reserved or a reservation within the Meaning of Land Development (Process for Road Law) laws of Rivers State of Nigeria Vol. 4 Cap 73 and if so the said parcel of land is of public access and easement.
Also, a declaration that any sale or purchase of the said parcel of land by the 1st and 2nd defendants to the third defendant is a nullity and of no effect as it offends section 6 of the Land Development (Provision for Road Law) Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria Vol. 4 Cap 73 among of others.
In a telephone call, Mr Kingsley Chinedu Michael denied knowledge of the situation and wanted to know the source of the information.
The Rivers State Judiciary has described as embarrassing and misleading a purported online publication by the News Week Electronic Media channel alleging that the State Chief Judge , Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi plans to embark on a One Year annual vacation.
The Judiciary in a statement signed by the Chief Registrar High Court Port Harcourt, DAVID IHUA-MADUENYI while dismissing the said report described it as malicious and baseless, stressing that the allegation levelled against the person and the office of the Chief Judge of Rivers state was an embodiment of falsehood.
The statement reads this “to put the records straight, the Chief Judge did not at any time announce nor intend to announce embarking on any recess or extended recess leave by whatsoever name called, as such leave is alien to the Judicial Officers Calendar of Vacations.”
The vacation calendar of Judicial Officers is of public knowledge, namely: Christmas Vacation, Easter Vacation and Annual Vacation “the statement stated.
He therefore urged members of the public and the judiciary community to disregard the misguided publication as it is targeted to causing disaffection , confusion and ill will in the State.
Maduenyi however threatened a legal action against the author of the publication, JAKE CLIFFORD and the publishers if they failed to retract the false publication immediately without hesitation.
Akujobi Amadi
Determined to sustained and promote a peaceful stability in the Niger Delta states, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has trained over 200 selected youths drawn from the nine states of the commission on the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism (ADR)in settling conflicts and disputes in there various communities.
The one -day capacity Building workshop organised by the Department of the Dispute and Conflict Resolution, NDDC with the theme “Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanism: Facilitating inclusive youth Engagement for Transformative peace “held in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Declaring the workshop open,the NDDC managing Director and chief executive officer, Mr Samuel Ogbuku said the essence of the workshop was to build the capacity of the youths in the region on conflicts management through Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) mechanism which will enable them handle conflicts in there communities,noting that conflicts is part of human society and happens every day in the society.
Ogbuku who was represented on the event by the Director Research, planning and statistics,Dr Patterson OGOM, stressed that Niger Delta region is at the centre of conflict due to its dominance in oil explorations and exploitations and there is the need to acquaint the youths who are always on the front burner during agitations on a more convenient peaceful approach to go about resolving conflicts with out it snowballing to crisis.
According to him,the workshop will exposed the youths on how to manage conflicts in there areas when they arise, adding that carrying arms and destruction of national critical assests in there communities was not the best option for achieving peace when conflict arises.
Ogbuku averred that Niger Deltans are noted for settling there disputes through dialogue and that informed the choice for the ADR workshop.
” What we want to achieve in the workshop is how to resolve and manage these conflicts when they arise.How the we explore other windows of dispute resolution, negotiation, dialogue and nip them on bud before they occur.ADR is Germaine to Niger Delta region.
The NDDC MD/ CEO urged the participants to take the workshop serious so that they can take the message back to their various communities and States.
Also speaking, the Ag Director, ADR NDDC, Godwin Ayewumi Ogedegbe esq, disclosed that since the inception of the present NDDC management led by Mr Samuel Ogbuku the region has not witnessed crisis as it was in the past , adding that the commission has been proactive and preventive in conflicts management in the region.
Ogedegbe averred that the training was designed to teach the youths an alternative ways of resolving conflicts when they happen or occur rather than resorting to arms carrying and destruction of critical national assets in their domain, adding that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is the best way to resolving and managing crisis.
He opined that peace is critical to the commission and the region, noting that when the youths destroy the oil installations and other critical national assets in the region it will affect revenue accruing to the commission and in turns affects development in the region.
“They are going to preach the message learnt here to their fellow youths that there are other ways of resolving conflicts despite carrying arms or destroying oil facilities in there communities as such acts can’t bring peace.”he stated.
Our correspondent reports that the participants were drawn from Rivers, Delta, Akwa ibom, Edo, Cross River and Bayelsa states
Others include, Imo, Abia and Ondo states.
Akujobi Amadi