Rivers
NIESV Urges Synergy To Curb Flooding
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Worried over the incessant floods ravaging parts of the state as a result of the rains, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers have called for a stakeholders meeting to mitigate the flood menace in the state.
Chairman of NIESV Rivers State Branch Hamilton Odum said the stakeholders meeting with the ministry of environment became necessary following the large scale of destruction of properties floods have caused in the state.
Odum said the environmental summit with the theme “Flooding in Port Harcourt City: Issues and Mitigation Strategies” would also engage professors and experts in the environment, on ways of ending the ravaging floods in Port Harcourt.
‘’With the increasing climate change, we are bound to experience rising sea levels and more intense rainfalls that will certainly lead to greater flooding in our cities and urban centers.
“We are all witnesses to the unprecedented flooding in the city of Port Harcourt this year. If measures are not taken we will witness more flooding in greater dimension and intensity come next year.
“Flooding causes damages to property and endangers the lives of human and other species. For NIESV, we see this as a social responsibility to act in best interest of the environment and society as a whole.
“We are motivated to hold this symposium to bring stakeholders in the environmental field to fashion out best practices on flood prevention and develop flood risk management strategies for the good of the city and its residents’’, he said.
On their part, one of the partners of the environmental summit, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port, said Rotary clubs are worried over the state of flooding in the state and is partnering to take action to end the menace.
President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port Akin Sodipo said Rotary could apply the lessons it had learned with fighting polio to build awareness and inspire action around projects which promote the environment.
The Service Project Director of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port, Prince Jenewari Eleki said the club’s collaboration with the ministry of environment is timely so that the recommendation after the meeting will be effectively implemented by the state government.
He said the Rotary club of Port Harcourt Sea Port would continue to collaborate with organizations to impact on the environment.
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