Rivers
FG Seeks Support Over N6bn Water Project In Ogoniland
The Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) has called on residents of Ogoniland in Rivers State to support the ongoing execution of six water projects in the area.
HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Ferdinand Giadom, made the call in Alesa, Eleme, Rivers State, during his inspection tour of the water project sites.
The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, had in March 2021 flagged-off phase one of the project in four Local Government Areas in Ogoniland – Eleme, Gokana, Khana and Tai.
Giadom said the Federal Government had come up with a sustainable plan to ensure the ongoing water project served Ogoni people for decades to come.
“The reason for the project’s sustainability is that it is one thing to provide water and another for the water to subsist.
“The essence of these is to look at a sustainability plan that would serve both the needs of the present generation and future generations of the Ogoni people.
“So, all hands must be on deck to install a system that will sustain the standard of portable drinking water”, he said.
The project coordinator gave the assurance that all water facilities across the four LGAs would be of the same standard.
“We will ensure that the quality of water is up to the standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water limit, and that will be consistent in the future.
“The future we are talking about is not five years or ten years, but maybe 20 years and far beyond that,” he added.
Also speaking, a water governance expert in the inspection team, Prof. Johnson Otu, lauded the speed of the project and called for its sustenance.
He said the team, however, noticed some technical issues that needed adjustment to ensure the water scheme met its desired target.
“We will discuss the technical issues with the contractors so that things can be put rightly in shape for the future sustainability of the project.
“Overall, HYPREP is on the right path of delivering the project for the good of the Ogoni people,” he said.
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