Rivers
RSG To Review Environmental Laws
The Rivers State Government has restated its readiness to review all environmental laws in the state.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nyema Weli who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt shortly after monitoring this month’s environmental sanitation exercise in the city, also said that a bill to set up the Rivers State Environmental Protection Agency had been submitted to state House of Assembly.
Dr Weli said that the government was taking steps to review the laws in view of the realities of the time.
He said that the situation would help for the proper regulation of activities of some environmental groups such as the Rivgreen Marshalls as well as ensure the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties in the event of any environmental violations.
According to him, the development which will be in the best interest of the people will make the state, the best as for as environmental sanitation is concerned.
Meanwhile, Dr Weli has ordered for the removal of all abandoned vehicles and scrabs at the Ikoku / Olu-Obasanjo road.
Addressing traders in the areas during the exercise, the commissioner regretted that abandoned vehicles and scrabs had become a death trap for both the traders and their customers.
Dr Weli also took time to explain the importance of cleanliness to the traders, stressing that “government does not need to force them to do what is right especially as it concerns the cleanliness of their shades, as it is morally binding on them to do so.” He further said that cleanliness of the area was in their best interest as far as their health and that of their customers were concerned and also ordered. The smoke arising from a recent fire out- break that gutted some parts of the Ikoku spare parts market.
Some of the traders who spoke however blamed their union leaders for the poor sanitary condition of the area and urged for the relocation of the market to a more convenient location.
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