Rivers
LG To Prosecute Pipeline Vandals
The Okrika Local Government Council of Rivers State will start prosecuting pipeline vandals in its effort to protect oil installations in the area.
The Chairman, Mr Tamuno William, stated this in Okrika while launching a sensitisation campaign against pipeline vandalism, organised by the Port Harcourt Refinery Company. He said that it was sad that instead of the council maintaining its tourism and rich culture, environmental degradation had become the order of the day.
“Okrika is an ethnic town of tourism and culture, how can we talk of tourism and culture when filth and other types of environmental degradation have become prevalent?’’ he asked.
William called for partnership between the council and NNPC to protect pipelines in the area and save the environment. He said that his administration was planning a policy that would protect all Federal Government-owned companies and their facilities in the area. William condemned pipeline vandalism and said the council was doing all it could to ensure that all forms of vandalism and oil theft were drastically reduced.
“We will ensure that we put it across to Okrika people and those residing in our local government area on the need to stay away from your pipelines and oil installations,“ he said.
William said that part of his plan for next year was to demarcate the pipeline areas but pointed out that the cost would be enormous. He explained that his administration had in its agenda to fence the pipelines with wire-gauze and plant flowers around them to make a green-verge. William said that carrying out the plan would ensure that people would not have access to the pipelines any longer. He said if the NNPC partnered with the council, there were other security gadgets that would be installed near the pipelines that would easily detect anyone going near them.
“If we don’t catch you that time, we will catch you later and I have said that we are going to commence the prosecution of anybody who commits this offence of economic sabotage
“ William said. He commended the refinery for the campaign to alert the people on the dangers of breaking oil pipelines.
William assured that he would meet with traditional rulers to sensitise their subjects accordingly. In his speech, the Deputy Manager, Safety, Port Harcourt Refinery, Mr Uche Nna, said that apart from pipeline vandalism being an economic sabotage, it was also dangerous to life.
Nna said that the fumes coming out of the oil when pipelines were vandalised were dangerous to health.
He explained that even when the oil was not ignited it was also dangerous as it would cause soil pollution and water contamination.
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