Rivers
COVID -19: Monarch Warns Against Unsanitary Habits
Following the increasing cases of Coronavirus pandemic in Rivers State and across the country, Paramount Ruler of Rumuoduwere Clan in Elelenwo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ken Otto, has warned against all forms of unsanitary habit by the people.
Eze Otto in an interview with newsmen in his palace said, regular hand washing with running water and soap must be observed by the people as well as the wearing of face masks.
According to him, it is imperative for his subjects to comply with the directive of government as law-abiding citizens to avoid contributing to the rise of the pandemic in the state.
He said, his community must support the collaborative effort of the State government to curtail the menace in the state.
Eze Ohna Odu IV explained that recent experiences had shown that lockdown is worse than the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the need to maintain government directives by observing social distancing, hand sanitising, wearing of face mask as well as other measures to avert the spread.
Eze Otto said the State government should be commended and supported for putting necessary safety measures on ground to save the lives of residents of which his subjects are beneficiaries.
He said further that, “from what we are witnessing about the second wave of COVID-19, the need to reemphasise support to government by observing all preventive measures is paramount.
“As we go into 2021, it is imperative for us to obey government directives especially in public places by wearing face mask, sanitising hands and observing social distancing.
“As Rivers State government shows concern for its citizenry, we must show maximum support and cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Rumuodomaya Police Division has vowed to maintain its constitutional role of securing lives and property.
The Division also said its doors were open to members of the public on useful information about safety of the citizenry.
This wakeup call was made by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Muktar Muhdi
CSP Muktar said this last week when he was honoured by a media group for exhibiting professionalism, especially during the #End SARS protest.
He said the issue of policing is everyone’s business; hence all hands must be on deck to secure a better society, while commending the State Commissioner of Police for ensuring peace in the state.
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