Rivers
Bakana Residents Laud LG Boss For Addressing Flooding
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The people of Bakana, in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, have expressed gratitude to the Executive Chairman of the local government council, Hon. Michael John Williams, for dredging a canal to address the perennial flooding in Iboroma and Fouchee flanks.
They thanked him for coming to the aid of the people, after several years of suffering occasioned by rising tide and heavy downpours.
Speaking at the project site, Rev. Canon Igoaso Omuaru, who commended the Chairman for embarking on what he described as a “legacy project”, stated that the project, when completed, would ease the suffering of the people.
Also speaking, a retired civil servant, Chief Senibo Joseph Alexander, thanked the Council Chairman for bringing succour to residents of the area, noting that “the absence of a proper water channel over the years had adversely affected the people, resulting in recurrent flooding”.
Speaking on the scope of the project, the Chief of Staff of Degema Council, Hon. Ipalibo Yellowe, stated that the project is a navigable 3m deep canal, which would be channeled straight to the sea.
He said the surrounding silted drainages would also be desilted and channeled to the canal, to end the perennial flooding in the affected areas.
On his part, Hon. Williams noted that the move was to end the harrowing experience of the people, who in some occasions had been forced to park out of their houses to seek shelter elsewhere, due to the flood.
”Government exists to improve the standard of living of its citizenry and not to give endless excuses for non-performance”, he said.
He commended the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, “for creating the platform and blazing the trail in the execution of people-oriented projects”, which, he said, his (Williams’s) administration had emulated in the service of Degema people.
The LG boss expressed confidence that the people of Degema would continue to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), “because the party had always kept its social contract with the people”.
By: Theresa Frederick & Wokoma Emmanuel
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