Rivers
Women Demand Sack Of NDDC Com’ttee, Release Of Report
Scores of women besieged the corporate headquarters of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), at the Eastern Bypass area of Port Harcourt on Tuesday to demand sack of the Interim Management Committee (IMC), of the Commission.
They also demanded the constitution of a new board for the organisation.
The women, who were armed with placards with varying inscriptions like “Malami leave NDDC Alone”, “We want a Board for NDDC”; “Sack illegal Interim Committee/Sole Administrator”, also demanded for the publication of forensic audit report carried out in the commission and submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the sack of the sole administrator.
Recall that the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had presented the final report of the forensic audit of the NDDC to President, Muhammadu Buhari on September 2.
The minister, while presenting the documents conveyed in 17 “Ghana Must Go bags” to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who represented Buhari pleaded for urgent actions on the recommendation of the report.
Akpabio disclosed that the auditors had concluded the examination and documentation of a total 13,777 contracts for projects and programmes awarded to contractors and consultants in all Niger Delta States from 2001-August 2019, at a total final contract value of N3,274.206,032,213.24.
But since September, the report was submitted, no white paper has been released on it by the federal government.
The federal government has also not constituted a new board for the agency.
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