Rivers
Community Seeks Fubara’s Intervention In Chieftaincy Crisis …Declares Support For Regent
Chiefs, Opinion leaders, and Elders of Okwuzi community in Ogba Egbema Ndoni local Government Area are calling for the intervention of Governor Siminalaye Fubara following the crisis over the Oruamara Chieftaincy stool of the community.
They also declared their support for Eze Victor H. C. Afaka as the Eze Oruamara or Regent of Okwuzi community.
They said this at a media briefing in the community.
It would be recalled that Okwuzi for the past six years has been without a paramount ruler following the alleged incapacitation of Eze Chukwuma SDG Nwanoka.
According to the chiefs, elders, and opinion leaders of the community, the emergence of Eze Victor Afaka was a result of the incapacitation of Eze Nwanoka, who was paramount ruler of the community.
They also alleged of attempt by some persons to ursup the traditional rulership of Okwuzi, adding that this situation is causing crisis in the community.
According to them, the attention of Governor Siminalaye Fubara is needed urgently to save Okwuzi from plunging into crisis.
Speaking, Chairman of Nzeobi of Egbema Ancient Kingdom Area Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Kingsley Obiye, said the appointment of Eze Victor Afaka followed the customs, tradition, and constitution of Okwuzi Community.
Eze Obiye said Okwuzi does not operate an Hereditary system of rulership, neither does it operate a Prime Ministership system of traditional administration.
He said following the vacuum created by the incapacitation of Eze Chukwuma, the community appointed Eze Victor Afaka as the Regent of Okwuzi.
He, however, alleged that one Nelson Ekperi, a former personal Assistant to the incapacitated Eze, has been trying to ursup the rulership of the community, something that is against the custom and tradition of Okwuzi Community.
Also speaking, Chief Chuks Ajari of Ohu/Ebocha Community, Okwuzi, said Government attention is needed to save the community from impending crisis.
“Our community is heading down to crisis if the Governor fails to come and rescue his people, because this is one of the Communities he governs”, he stated.
He noted that for over six years the community has not set its eyes on their Eze: “we have not seen him, we do not know where he is.
“The community sat down and through our constitution appointed Victor Afaka as a Regent”.
He added that ascension to the throne of Eze Oruamara or paramount rulership of Okwuzi is never hereditary but through election or selection.
Chief Ajari urged Governor Fubara to call Mr Nelson Ekperi and others to order before they plung Okwuzi into crisis.
“We are calling on Governor Fubara to use his office to call them to order.
“The community has gotten a Regent and every chieftaincy apparatuses should be handed to Eze Afaka so that Okwuzi can be in peace”, Ajari stated.
“Also, the Youth President of the Community, Comrade Princewilll Ifeanyi, said the community has not set its eyes on the incapacitated Eze for over six years, neither was there any information about his whereabout.
He also called on the Government to call those trying to plung the community into crisis to order, adding that they should respect the laws, customs and traditions of the people.
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