Rivers
New Rumuolumeni DPO Assures IAUE Of Effective Security
The New Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Rumuolumeni Police Station, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Ngozi Ada Oha, has assured Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni, Port-Harcourt that the Force would create a safe and secured environment for Staff, Students and University Community.
Speaking when she paid a familiarisation visit to the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, recently, at the Council Chambers of the University, CSP Oha said she would deploy effective protective measures to prevent and mitigate threats and challenges in the institution arising from co-habitation of multitude of staff and students from different backgrounds, with diverse political ideologies, different orientations, trainings and religious inclinations.
She disclosed that most students join cultism not necessarily because they are cowards, but more because they have low self esteem, inferiority complex and want to undo each other, their lecturers and others that they perceive as weak and enemies.
DPO Oha described cultism as worse than stealing, and tantamount to killing, and encouraged those threatened to speak up.
She said they would regularly patrol round the campus to deter and respond to any criminal activity so as to bring to the barest minimum the menace of cult related activities.
The DPO, who informed that she enrolled in the Nigerian Academy since 2005, said she has served the force at different levels and capacities across the country, hinting that she has rendered security services at Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Lagos States before being transferred back to Rivers State.
She called for collaboration and partnership with the University Authority, on intelligence gathering to gain timely information communicated on potential security threats in the ivory tower.
Oha, who emphasized that information is key to solving societal problems, solicited for support in addressing security issues to ensure that the affirmation by the Director of the Rivers State Security Service that Ignatius Ajuru University of Education is the safest University in the South-South region of the Country remains the same under her watch.
She enumerated some of her achievements since she assumed office as Rumuolumeni Divisional Police Officer as uncovering plot by some cultists who came with cult badges for distribution at the Rumuolumeni Community, arrest of Operation Special Protection Area Command (OSPAC) Member who came to operate at the Rumuolumeni Community and “one chance operators” who came all the way from Ngwa in Abia State to carry out their nefarious activities in Port-Harcourt.
DPO Oha assured that her team would work amicably with the University to sanitize the institution and its environs.
Responding, the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Onuchuku, thanked the DPO for initiating the visit and for the synergy.
While agreeing that institutions of higher learning and surrounding environment are sometimes volatile, he stressed the need to separate those who are just in the school to forment trouble with their devilish acts from those that are good and genuinely want to study.
He stated that “if a conscious and deliberate effort is not put in place to ensure a safe environment for the protection of the few good students, the likely tendency would be that the bad ones would influence and corrupt thereby creating a greater problem for everyone”.
Professor Onuchuku stated further that the University has zero tolerance for cultism, hinting that cultism is outdated as those who were once members have realised that it is very unprofitable and are now joining reputable organisations and rendering voluntary services to help people in dire need.
He vowed to deal decisively with any student caught in the act to serve as a deterrent to others.
He informed the DPO about the forthcoming examinations, adding that this is one of the times that Cultists cause mayhem, assuring that his doors will remain open for them to visit and work out modalities on how to stem the tide of cult-related activities and mitigate their menace.
The Acting Vice Chancellor explained that the University tries to maintain peace during Student Union Government week by closely monitoring their activities to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the week.
He expressed dismay that rather than engage in intellectual based symposiums that would stimulate knowledge, students opt for activities like Jeans Carnival with its attendant reckless driving, Beauty Pageant, Rag Day, Parties that adds no value to their lives.
While thanking the team for the visit and looking forward to a stronger relationship, he guaranteed that the University would provide the necessary assistance, support and logistics for the Police to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the University and its environs.
In a vote of thanks, Superintendent of Police (SP) Leko Denis, also the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) 1 of Rumuolumeni Police Division, appreciated the Acting Vice Chancellor for his comments and pledged that the force will work with the University to maintain law and order as well as prevent and control crime for the safety of all.
Also among the DPO’s entourage was the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who is also the Station Officer (SO) of Rumuolumeni Police Division, ASP Alagba Emenike.
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