Rivers
Don Sets Agenda For Rivers Governor-Elect
The Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, and Professor of Energy and Comparative Environmental Law, Prof Samuel Chisa Dike, has expressed delight over the successful election of Sir Siminialayi as the Governor-Elect of Rivers State.
He, however, outlined the fundamental areas which the incoming administration should give priority attention to when sworn in on May 29, 2023, to enable it succeed and even surpass the excellent achievements of the Governor Nyesom Wike administration.
Dike, who spoke in an interview in Port Harcourt, said it was good to set agenda for the incoming Governor so that he would have a full grasp of what the people expect from his administration, stressing that the outgoing administration has performed creditably, particularly in the area of infrastructural development, among others.
He noted that he was particularly elated over the emergence of Sir Fubara at the governorship poll, because, as he puts it, “the agitation and demand by Rivers people for power shift, from the upland to the riverine, have been met, to actually guarantee justice, equity and fairness in power sharing in the State”.
Dike said the next administration would be able to take development activities to the riverine areas of the State, and expressed joy that the Governor-Elect, who hails from Opobo Town, was a core civil servant and technocrat before “dabbling into the murky waters of politics”.
He also said this is a welcome development as he would be able to prudently manage the resources of the State, and address the welfare needs of both civil and public servants in the State.
The lecturer admonished the incoming administration to shift and improve on other areas the outgoing administration could not handle since, according to him, governance is a continuum, and identified the first area the incoming administration should focus on as human capital development.
He said, “this area is key and pivotal in the overall development of the State, since it could affect development in several other sectors like information, health, agriculture and commerce”, and advised the Governor-Elect to begin to galvanise his capacity towards this direction.
Dike noted that the administration could record monumental milestones in this area through aggressive scholarship policies and programmes, stressing that local and overseas undergraduate and graduate scholarships could go a long way to bolster the human capital needs of the State, describing himself as a product of scholarship.
To this end, he said giving a target response to human capital development is much expected of the new administration.
Dike noted the empowerment of Rivers people, adding that the new government’s aggressive policy on empowerment would also go a long way to remove loafers and miscreants on the streets, thereby reducing criminality in the State.
According to him, “there should be a conscious effort by the incoming administration to decongest Port Harcourt, as doing so would provide a whole lot of benefits to the people”.
He also stressed the need for the administration to improve the state government’s relationship with multinational and other companies operating in the State, and cited Siat Nigeria Limited, where the State Government has a stake as an example, saying, doing this would enable the State to create a thriving industrial hub for the State.
In environment, Dike suggested that the Garden City status of Port Harcourt can be restored by the new administration “by embracing a deliberate policy of planting of trees and flowers on major roads”.
He advocated a re-introduction of the school-to-land policy of the Fidelis Oyakilome administration to boost agriculture in the State, since, according to him, “all life is tied to the soil”, saying, “activating a robust policy on agriculture would assist the State”.
Dike, therefore, urged all political parties in the State to bury their hatchet and rally round the Governor-Elect, saying, “let the existing peace in the State continue. Acrimony does not pay”.
He advised the incoming administration to run an inclusive government by carrying all Rivers people along irrespective of party affiliation.
He described the Governor-Elect and his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, as an amazing and wonderful combination that would take the State to glorious heights in the next four years.
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor