Rivers
RSNC To Support Dev Of Indigenous Languages
The General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publisher of The Tide group of Newspapers, Mr Celestine Ogolo, has pledged the commitment of the corporation to partner with the Rivers State Readers Project in the development of indigenous languages in the state.
Mr. Ogolo gave the pledge during a courtesy call on him by the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Readers Project, Dr Tony Enyia.
The General Manager described the language development project as an endevour that would project the true identity of Rivers people, and assured that the corporation would make meaningful contributions towards the success of the project.
He commended the Executive Secretary for the passion and dexterity on the project and urged collective efforts towards redeeming the drift in the development of the various languages of Rivers people.
The General Manager decried a situation where most Rivers people could barely speak their mother tongue, and expressed confidence that the project would be a success.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Readers Project, Dr Tony Enyia, had said that they were in the corporation to seek the support and partnership of The Tide in the implementation of the Rivers State language development project.
The Executive Secretary said the main objective of the Rivers State Readers Project, was to make available a series of “readers” for use in primary and secondary schools in all local languages of the State.
He explained that the objective was in line with the National Policy on Education, and would enable children to learn their own mother tongue for cultural sustainability.
He pointed out that the project had a 5-phase work plan of orthographies development, curricular development, language books production, language teachers training and language teachers development.
According to the executive secretary, part of measures of achieving the objective was through the implementation of the Rivers State Education (Teaching of Indigenous language) Law 2003″ which stipulates that teaching of indigenous languages be made compulsory in all pre-primary, primary, and junior secondary schools in the state.
He said the law also made it mandatory for such languages to be part of the school curriculum, while teachers were expected to be trained on certificate courses on local languages spoken in the state.
Dr Enyia also disclosed that the project would be carrying out an exhibition on indigenous languages, books, movies, music CDs, and DVDs, in Oia Thursday in line with the UNESCO International Mother-Tongue Day celebration 2013.
Taneh Beemene
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