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We’ve Given Priority To All Arms Of Govt, Sectors In Rivers -Wike …Fayemi Flags Off Magistrates Court Complex In PH
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has explained that no arm of government and sector in the state has been treated poorly in terms of allocation of funds and distribution of infrastructure.
The governor made the explanation at the flag-off of construction work on the Magistrates Court Complex that was performed by the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, in Port Harcourt.
Responding to an allusion made by one of the speakers at the event who cited a question that a friend asked him about so much attention paid to the Judiciary, Wike said, that such person must be a mischief maker.
Wike said so much money has been spent in the health sector, which cannot be compared to what has been spent in the Judiciary.
He said this is the last project his administration would be executing for the Judiciary before his tenure ends, and assured that it would be completed within the next eight months.
Other projects that are already ongoing, he said, include the state Judicial Institute, the Federal Judicial Service Commission for the South-South, allocated to Rivers State.
The governor, however, took a swipe at the state Judiciary about the lack of space and courtrooms in the High Court premises that make magistrates and judges share courtrooms.
Wike queried what they have been doing with their capital budget released to them in the last six and half years.
According to him, they cannot receive such money and still wait for the Executive to provide offices for them, effect repairs on existing offices, and also make the air conditional in the courtrooms functional.
“Let me say something I find very disturbing because it is self-indictment. You said that people sit in the morning; people sit in the afternoon because of no space.
“The question now becomes what has the Judiciary been doing with their capital budget? Because I’m surprised, all these (projects) that are being done are done by the Executive. We release your capital budget as at when due.
“Again, why do you recommend for the appointment of new magistrates when you know there is no court for them. Why? As I speak today, we are not owing the Judiciary any dime.”
Wike stated that when the new magistrate court complex would be completed, it would be fitted with all modern facilities and would help decongest the State High Court.
Performing the flag-off, Governor Kayode Fayemi commended Wike for the transformational work, not just in the Judiciary alone, but in every sector in the state.
Fayemi observed that what was happening to the magistracy in Rivers State and the on-going construction of campus of Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt were also worthy of commendation.
According to him, even if he was not a lawyer, he was educated enough to know the importance of this arm of government, and particularly the importance of the magistracy to the administration of justice in the country, adding that what Wike has done was going to make a fundamental difference.
“From the statistics I’ve seen, 70percent of matters relating to criminal justice administration are handled at the magistracy. And that contributes immensely to addressing our long-standing problem of awaiting trial detainees in our prisons.
“So, if we provide a conducive environment for our magistrates to function, it goes without saying that they would deliver their responsibilities a lot more swiftly, and also cover a lot more grounds in order to address that challenge.”
Fayemi said issues raised about the Judiciary by Wike were serious, and said it was the aspiration of the federating states in the country to have a truly independent Judiciary.
“What we look forward to as states, is that time that we would also have state courts that are not just autonomous but that are wholly driven from the state, not ones driven from the National Judicial Council (NJC), that is the vision of state and that is what we look forward to.”
On his part, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi said the construction of the magistrate courts complex has come at an auspicious time most desired.
According to him, it would decongest the State High Court Complex where Magistrate Court was currently being housed.
In his address, the Rivers State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor said the stability, peace and order of any society depends largely on the administration of justice.
The magistrates courts, he noted, were the component of the court system that discharges crucial responsibility in upholding the sanctity of the law, particularly the criminal law and the magistrate courts handles over 70percent of criminal cases which make the project also important.
Speaking for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Okey Wali, SAN, stated that Wike has the hindsight of understanding the peculiar problems of the Judiciary, and was deliberately addressing them in order to also strengthen democracy.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, George Kelly-Dax Alabo explained that the complex sits on a 10.150 squares metres of land and contain 24 courts in two-storey of four buildings that would have six courts each.
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Rivers Capable Of Delivering Massive Votes For Tinubu, Chinda, Others -Fubara …Charges APC, Rainbow Coalition To Embrace Team Work
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the State is capable of delivering massive votes for President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda and other candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 general elections.
Fubara, who stated this yesterday at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Port Harcourt, said the surest path to victory is for the members of the Presidential Campaign Council drawn from the APC and the Rainbow Coalition to embrace the spirit of teamwork.
He said what the state was witnessing in the current political season is a repeat of the successful mobilization done in 2022 and 2023, when a large campaign council worked in unity to deliver victory for him and for President Tinubu.
He added that the present council is bigger, wider and better coordinated and should therefore achieve even better results.
He noted that the beauty of the new council is the fact that some persons who were in the opposition camp during the previous elections are now part of the team, saying their inclusion has made the task easier, provided everyone works as one team and with sincerity of purpose.
The governor thanked the Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council for Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, and other leaders who worked tirelessly to bring the council to fruition, stressing that nothing is impossible especially when people work together for a common purpose.
He expressed optimism that with seriousness and commitment, the state would record a higher number of votes than it recorded in 2023.
Fubara, while congratulating members who made the list, appealed to those whose names were omitted not to be discouraged, as there are still sub-committees to be constituted and the list can still be updated, even as he warned against double loyalty.
He said the state has gone past the stage of division and is now looking to the future and what God holds for Rivers people, expressing confidence that with the strategy already put in place, the APC and the Rainbow Coalition would come out victorious in 2027.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Coordinator of the Campaign Council, Chief Nyesom Wike, while inaugurating the Council, lauded Fubara for finding time to attend the ceremony and other engagements of the Council in spite of his busy schedules.
Wike, who is also the National Leader of the PDP/ Rainbow Coalition, reminded members of the Council that they were chosen based on their capacity to participate in the activities of the group and deliver positive results.
He charged them to work hard to win votes for the candidates of the APC and the Rainbow Coalition for the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly as well as State House of Assembly elections next year.
He disclosed that apart from the Presidential Campaign Council and its sub-committees, the Local Government Campaign Councils will soon be inaugurated to ensure better coverage of the grassroots during the current campaign season.
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RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
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APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow
Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.
This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.
The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.
The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.
President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.
The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.
The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.
The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.
Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.
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