Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara has assured that his administration will fully implement the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s recent judgement on the political crisis in the state.
He maintained that what is important, in all of the happenings that had been witnessed, has been the protection of the interest of Rivers State because it must be above whatever personal interest that anybody could hold and canvass.
Fubara spoke yesterday during the inauguration of the new Judges’ Quarters, a housing facility completed by his administration for judges indigenous to Rivers State by birth or marriage, at Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The governor explained: “It has not been an easy 16 months, but what is important is the interest of our State, which must be above our personal interest. I want to say it here, very loud and clear to everyone, the Supreme Court has given a judgement, my administration is going to implement the judgement to its fullest. The reason is clear: It is not about me, it is about the good of this state.”
Fubara alluded to the quantum of loss, in terms of money expended, in prosecuting the political crisis, on both sides, which has gone to waste, regrettably.
Such financial resources and other efforts, the governor said, would be more profitable, if they were synergised, and channelled to causes that promoted the genuine well-being and good of the state, adding that something more assuring would have been showcased.
He said, “Thank God where we are today, I can assure you publicly that, any day, any time, I have not gone back on that my statement: that nothing (no price) is too big to pay for peace in this State, because at the end of the day, it is about our people. It is not about me, I will leave office but the good work that I have done will speak for me and will defend my generation.”
Commenting on the project, Fubara emphasised that it further shows that his administration takes the issue of welfare, particularly of judicial officers, seriously, explaining that his administration inherited the project and with reports from the Ministry of Justice and some concerns from the Judiciary, it became imperative to continue with it.
The governor said, “We give glory to God that today, we have completed this project, and we are willing and ready to hand it over to the lucky judges who are going to live here so that they can perform their duties effectively.”
He pointed to the need for proper maintenance of the housing facility and the entire premises so that it can offer required satisfaction, maximally, and assured the executive’s readiness to provide support in that regard.
Performing the inauguration, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, recalled how he laid the foundation stone of the project, which was initiated by the immediate past administration on May 22, 2023, and thanked Fubara for continuing and completing the project, which now represents another milestone and great accomplishment for the Rivers State Judiciary.
Amadi said: “We are pleased with this landmark achievement, which represents the continuation of the policy of providing befitting residential accommodation for judges of Rivers State on owner-occupier basis or monetary ground in lieu there-off. This is backed by the Rivers State Housing Scheme for Judicial Officers Law No. 10 of 2021 passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly, and signed into law by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State.
“The Rivers State Government, in the past years, has been in the fore-front in ensuring that judges are quartered while in service, and in recent years, has gone further to allocate official quarters to judges on the basis of owner-occupier or monetary ground of a fixed sum in lieu there-off.
“The policy of providing official accommodation for judges on owner-occupier basis or monetary ground in lieu there-off has reduced greatly the pressure on judicial officers who hitherto struggle to build retirement home while in service with limited resources. Such pressure and desire to own retirement home in time past was a major concern and have its own impact on job performance.”
In her address, the solicitor-general and permanent secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, explained that the Rivers State Housing Scheme for Judicial Officers, Law No. 10 of 2021 established a housing scheme for judicial officers who must be indigenes of Rivers State either by birth or marriage.
Mrs Clapton-Ogolo said: “The scheme provides for ownership of a decent accommodation in the state by every judicial officer who is an indigene of Rivers State or married to an indigene of Rivers State or monetization of the accommodation, subject to the approval of the government.
“In accordance with the above law, today, the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State will commission seven duplexes of five bedrooms, which are exquisitely furnished. Our judges deserve nothing less. I pray that these duplexes will not just be a living houses for our judges, but homes where our judges will find peace and rest as they discharge their duties, as judges, to God and to men,” she added.
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