Rivers
Residents Condemn Destruction Of Judicial Offices
Residents of Port Harcourt have challenged the Rivers State Police Command to unravel those behind the Monday morning burning of courts in the state.
A businessman, Mr Christopher Ajala, said a situation where three judicial offices were simultaneously burnt was an indication that the security outfit need to live up to the expectations of the people.
“Where was the police? What of the security personnel that guide these offices,” he querried.
Also reacting to the situation, Chief Emmanuel Amakala regretted the growing incident of destruction of lives and property in the state and called on the men of Rivers State Police Command to wake up to its responsibilities.
Chief Amakala regretted that such a dangerous development was used to mark the beginning of the year and advised youths in the state to be wise and refuse being used by some irresponsible politicians especially as 2014 would mark all lot of political activities preparatory to the 2015 elections in Nigeria.
He wants the investigation on the burnt courts to critically examine how the internal security in the affected court premises, remarking that if the security men who are paid to secure the place were on duty, they would have been able to give clue to how it happened.
“Let the Commissioner of Police in the state prove to Rivers people that he has capacity to protect lives and property by unraveling the mystery behind the acts,” he said.
General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo (left) listening to his Rivers State Television counterpart, Mr Tonye Ekong, during a press conference by the Commissioner for Information and Communications over the bombings in Rivers State, at the Ministry of Justice Hall, last Monday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga.
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