Rivers
Philanthropist Commits To Youth Dev
A week long athletic activities sponsored by Dr. Bernard and Friends Foundation (DEBAFF) which started with a colloquium has ended Saturday at Ahoada, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the State with a clarion call on youths to embrace sports as a means of livelihood.
The tournament tagged: 2021 Ekpeye Youth Grassroots Mixed Martial Arts Championship and Empowerment Programme featured judo, mix martial arts, Ekpeye traditional wrestling, Ijaw traditional wrestling, Ekpeye cultural procession (the conquest of the Ikpachors), and visits to Ahoada Correctional Centre.
Addressing the crowd, High Chief Ebere Bernard, founder of the DEBAFF, a non governmental organisation (NGO) remarked that as a philanthropist, he was poised to change the youths from street urchins to athletes to better their lots.
The Ekpeye born mix martial artist noted that mix martial arts was used as a tool to teach real life winning skills like dedication, discipline, respect, humility and hard work.
DEBAFF director said among other things that he decided to spice up the athletic competition with the Ekpeye cultural procession to reminiscence the warrior nature of his ancestor Akalaka whose descendants were (Ekpeye – Ubie ) axis of Ekpeye kingdom in olden days.
While he donated cash materials, and pro bono lawyer for the inmates, he warned the prisoners not to only turn a new a leaf, but to engage in sports which could transform them and their economic upliftment.
Also speaking, Chief Coach, Sports Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Mr. Godpower Geoffrey said, “Judo which means gentle way in Japanese, is a martial arts created in Japan by Jigoro Kano in 1882”. He therefore urged the participants and the youths to embrace it as well as to play by the rules.
Meanwhile, speakers during the colloquium held Monday at the Conference Hall Of Ahoada East Local Government Council with the theme: “Repositioning and Empowering of Ekpeye Youth for Global Impact included Dr. Bernard who lectured on “Ekpeye the land between two Rivers: A pathetic story of poverty in abundance of resources”, while Chukwumerijie Mwanekezie-phil and Chinotu F. George spoke on “Information: A Global Leverage for Achievement in Academic”, and Rule 7 of Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules for life: pursue what is meaningful and not what is expedient.
However, Chairman Ekpeye Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Eze Ikaki S. Ikaki, poured encomium on the host; noting that Dr. Bernard has done so great for the people of Ekpeye land.
Promising that traditional rulers in Ekpeye land would make it possible for companies operating in the land to partner with DEBAFF to bring in sustainable peace, growth and development.
In his vote of thanks, Chief Lamai Oduevho of Osakhu clan of Avhiawun kingdom of Edo State commended the donor for his magnanimity.
By: Emenike Agimo
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