Rivers
NOA Scores PH High On Cleanliness
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has rated Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital as one of the emerging cleanest cities in Nigeria.
The State Director of the agency, Mr. Oliver Wolugbom who said this in an interview with newsmen shortly after this month’s environmental sanitation exercise attributed the feat to the effort of the state government agency towards returning the city to its garden city status.
Mr. Wolugbom said that NOA was impressed with the constant sensitisation effort of the government, noting that by this development, residents of the city and environs were increasingly conscious of the need to keep their environment clean.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Nyema Weli who spoke to newsmen after the exercise said that the sensitisation programme would continue.
Dr. Weli however said the issue of cleaning the city must not be left for government alone as everyone must be involved.
“There has to be a way of making people take responsibility for cleaning their environment.
“It is our individual responsibility to keep our environment clean. Everyone has a role to play by ensuring that the environment is kept clean”, the Commissioner said.
Dr. Weli said that government would continue to talk to the citizenry to let them know that cleaning the environment was not only for sanitation days alone, reiterating that people must clean their environment everyday.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Ministry of Environment has warned against the continuous defacing of markets in the city with all kinds of refuse.
Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Nyema Weli who handed down the warning at the weekend while monitoring the sanitation exercise at Eligbolo and Rumuokoro at slaughter markets, said that the situation was capable of causing epidemic in the communities.
Speaking, the women leader of the Rumuokoro market, Mrs Ngozi Okpara urged the government to save them from the activities of Obio/Akpor taskforce who came everyday to extort money from them in the name of sanitation levy.
The head of the slaughter market Rumuokoro, Alhaji Alaini Salamudeen blamed the continuous defacing of the market on the activities of some traders who preferred to do their business outside their respective stalls.
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