Rivers
Commission Reassures On LGAs Retirees’ Welfare
The Rivers State Local Government Services Commission, has restated its commitment to ensure the prompt payment of retirees benefits.
The commission’s chairman, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini who said this at a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt, also said that the commission would continue to approve with dispatch, requests for retirements of staff to reduce the sufferings of retirees.
Chief Nmerukini called on the state and local government pensions boards to ensure the removal of all bottle necks associated with payment of retirees, stressing that the commission would not tolerate any obstacles on the part of Pension Desk Officers of the 23 local government areas in the handling of retirees benefits.
The chairman also advised heads of local government administration in the state to create conducive work environment for pension desk officers to operate and also urged the local governments to provide monthly imprest for the pension desk officers to avoid asking retirees to contribute money to process their documents.
He directed the retirement committee of the commission, headed by a commissioner in the commission, Engr. Kingston Idaye Jaja to carry out sensitisation seminar in the 23 local governments in order to educate staff on pension matters.
Also speaking, the state Auditor-General for local government, Mr. Greg Anynwu thanked the commission for convening the meeting and pledged the full co-operation of his office.
Mr. Anyanwu, however, noted that the delay in payment of pension was often caused by the retirees who present false and incomplete documents to his office.
In his speech, the secretary of Local Government Staff Pension Board, Mr. Telima Wokoma attributed pension payment delay to pension desk officers of the local government who did not follow due process in processing retirees documents.
Wokoma stressed the need for regular meetings with all those involved in the preparatoin processing and payment of local governments pension to achieve the desired targets.
Harry Ikuroa A.K.
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