Rivers
‘LG Tours To Ensure Accountability’
The ongoing local government tour by the State Ministry of Local Government Affairs is to ensure accountability in governance, the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Hon. Samuel Eyiba has said.
Speaking last Friday during a tour of projects and programmes in Khana Local Government Area of the State, Eyiba said, “we are here to look at the projects embarked by the council in relation to the monthly allocation, team work displayed by the council’s staff and the numerical strength of the council.”
While expressing satisfaction over the developmental strides of the Khana Local Government Chairman, Hon. Gregory Nwidam, the Commissioner observed that the council’s monthly spending particularly the wage bill was close to the monthly allocation.
He therefore urged the Khana Council boss to make sacrifices so that more projects would be executed, adding that no amount of project embarked by any council was enough for the area.
The Commissioner asserted that the oversight function of the Ministry over the various local government areas would ensure that the councils deliver the dividends of democracy to the people in terms of projects execution.
Speaking later, Chairman of the Khana Local Government Area, Hon. Nwidam stated that his administration has embarked on few projects which have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the area.
Nwidam regretted that the council was depending solely on the monthly allocation, which is not healthy and said that his administration was finding other means of revenue to drive development.
He revealed that his administration has constituted an advisory council that would guide government on executing important projects to transform the area and disclosed that the council has bought new brand cars and building of six flats of two bedrooms for the Directors stressing that this would enable staffs to be more productive, pointing out that the cars were loans which some have completed payment.
Projects visited included the Vice Chairman’s lodge, Khana shopping Mall and Council’s new administrative block.
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