Rivers
We Must Support HYPREP’s Mangrove Restoration Project To Succeed -Minister
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has promised that the Federal Government would support the ongoing mangrove restoration project of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to succeed.
Salako, who gave the assurance during a visit to some remediation sites in Ogoniland in Rivers State recently, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prioritises the issue of environment as could be seen in the Renewed Hope agenda and the eight priority areas of his administration.
He also noted that when it comes to the issue of climate change mitigation, Nigeria plays an important role, adding that one important resource that Nigeria and, indeed, Africa have to offer is nature- based solutions to climate change.
“When it comes to the issue of climate change, one important resource that Nigeria and indeed Africa have to offer is nature-based solutions. When we are talking about nature-based solutions, our mangrove forest is a very very important element of that. Nigeria has the largest mangrove forest in Africa and about the third in the entire world, which means that our mangrove forest is very important to the fight against climate change. So we must support HYPREP to ensure that the mangrove restoration project is done,” he said.
He further indicated that Nigeria actively participated in key events at the recently held Conference of Parties(COP28) in Dubai and also took part in the Alliance for Climate Change anchored by countries that are dedicated to the restoration of the mangrove.
Salako, who also visited the construction site of the ongoing Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, where he was taken round by HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, expressed delight over the project, describing it as the largest project the Federal Ministry of Environment is carrying out anywhere in the world and the second biggest of the Federal Government in the South South region after the East-West Road.
When completed in September, 2025, he said the project which is significant and very important is going to be a very impactful project at the heart of the Niger Delta.
“I have been taken round the project and I can see the vision of those who conceived it. I hope on completion, the people of the Niger Delta and, indeed, the entire global community would come around and celebrate this magnificent edifice,” he said.
The Minister, who equally visited the legendary Birabi Memorial Grammar School in Bori, used the opportunity to plant 10 trees, which he said are symbolic and significant to him personally.
According to him, the planting of the trees was part of his new year green resolutions to plant at least 50 trees this year in each of the geopolitical zones of the country.
He hinted that the 10 trees planted in the school are for the South South geopolitical zone, and urged students, teachers and the Principal of the school to help in nurturing the trees.
Salako equally inaugurated the Green Frontiers Club of the school as part of the clean environment campaign of the Federal Government.
The President of the club, who is the Senior Prefect of the school, Master Nathaniel Koalebari, alongside the other members of the club presented beautiful environmental renditions to the Minister and his entourage to the admiration of those present.
Both the Chairman of HYPREP’s Board of Trustees, Dr Michael Nweilaghi and the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey also planted trees in the school.
Meanwhile, the Minister also visited one of the remediation sites in Eleme Local Government Area, where he gained more insight into the enormous work HYPREP is doing in Ogoniland.
Said Salako, “I have been taken round one of the remediation sites in Eleme, and I have seen the very important work that is being done here. It is my hope that from here, Nigeria is learning a lot in terms of how to tackle the challenges of oil pollution, which is very common in the Niger Delta as a result of exploration and exploitation activities.What we are doing here is also to appreciate and recognise the very impactful contributions of the Niger Delta, the oil producing States and the oil producing communities of Nigeria to the economy. The government of Nigeria, therefore, has taken it as an important responsibility to ensure that those areas that have contributed so well to the growth of the economy are also supported to ensure that they have good livelihoods, better standard of living; the health of the people is protected and the environment is conserved.”
He further indicated that the environment has become a very important issue in global discourse these days because of the realisation that except the environment is used and treated in a sustainable manner, human beings would not have a place to live in as time goes on.
For this reason, Salako said the Federal Government is taking environmental issues seriously, as President Tinubu has prioritised the issue of environment.
Donatus Ebi
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