Rivers
Abe Blasts Amaechi Over Guber Zoning
Senator Magnus Abe has disagreed with an alleged comment by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi that the 2023 governorship position of the All Progressives Congress in the State has been zoned to Riverine areas.
Abe, who addressed his supporters in Port Harcourt, said he was happy when the leader of APC in the state in one of his functions said there will be no imposition of candidates but was worried when he allegedly turned around in a function in Ogu/Bolo area that he has asked Riverine people to nominate governor ahead of 2023 general elections.
He urged his supporters to see Amaechi’s comment as a personal opinion, warning that if the party continues with the same way it went before 2019 general elections, the unfortunate incident that happened against APC in the state may repeat itself.
“You have made a statement in the history of Nigerian politics that nobody can easily erase. The last move that they made did it work? It did not work because you said the issues in the party must be addressed. Nobody can deny the sacrifices we all made to birth the APC in Rivers State.
“After the Supreme Court judgement, we issued a statement. The statement was bastardised all over the social media, people came out to say all sorts of things, they said I said I had given up politics, I had been retired, I will be irrelevant to the politics of Rivers State. It is not possible? Nobody, can achieve that in Rivers State because politics is about people.
“I expected other leaders in the party to reciprocate in a manner that will open a window of opportunity, peace and reconciliation in the party. I didn’t hear that but I held my peace and I continued to insist that there must be peace for this party to move forward. A few days later, I started hearing some very very positive comments from the Minister of Transportation (Amaechi). When he went to Gokana, he said there will be no imposition in the party and that party members will be allowed to choose a candidate for themselves.
“That noise continued for a few days, but a few days ago, I saw a video clip of the same man in Ogu/Bolo announcing that they should go and prepare for a Riverine governor and that the governorship has been zoned to Ogu/Bolo, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Asari-Toru, Akuku Toru, Degema and I said is that a sign of change? It is not. Let me say it here, loud and clear, that what the minister expressed in Ogu/Bolo is his personal opinion, he does not speak for all of us in the APC. When you want to zone, there must be a process, there must be consultation, the people that are being zoned in must understand why they are being zoned in and the people that are being zoned out, must understand why they are being zoned out”.
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