Niger Delta

Buhari Unveils Naval Hospital, Rice Factory In Calabar

Published

8 years ago

June 27, 2018

President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his administration’s drive to continually provide affordable healthcare services to the public.
The President gave the assurance yesterday when he inaugurated the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar.
He said that his administration also placed premium on the welfare and well-being of security personnel who fought tirelessly to maintain peace and order in the country.
He added that the reference hospital would improve the quality of health services to naval personnel, their families and the public.
According to him, the drive of his administration is also to provide affordable healthcare services to the people.
He said “the importance of this facility cannot be over-emphasised, most importantly for the personnel of the Armed Forces in view of the enormous mental and physical exertion.
“I have no doubt that this facility, built with the state-of-the-art equipment, will improve the health standard of military personnel, their families and the public.
“I charge the Navy to ensure sustenance of this high standard hospital. This will help to realise the value of resources committed into the project.
“Our investment in healthcare and accommodation for military personnel will help them to bring out their best in national security.”
The president also inaugurated the 100 units model bricks accommodation at Atimbo Navy barracks for officers of the Eastern Naval Command.
The chief of naval staff said that the building of the project was conceived between 1974 and 1976.
Mr Ete-Ibas explained that the project was designed to serve as a model medical force multiplier facility for the Nigerian Navy and other military and paramilitary services in the southern part of the country.
The CNS said that the physical fitness and accommodation of naval personnel was key to discharging optimal services.
He explained that the hospital had been equipped with modern facilities that would help in reducing medical tourism abroad.
According to him, the hospital has the capacity to effectively attend to no less than 50 physiotherapy patients daily.
He added that “although work commenced on the facility in 1980 as a project of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, it suffered slow progress and was eventually handed over to Ministry of Defence in 1994.
“By 2012 when the Nigerian Navy took over the project, it was barely at 30 per cent completion over the 32 years construction period.
“A renewed commitment was however made in 2016 by the Nigerian Navy administration to deliver the hospital better than it was originally conceptualised.”
He commended President Buhari for releasing funds for the completion of the project, expressing hope that the value of the investment would be realised.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, represented by Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, lauded the Navy for the achievement.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, inaugurated rice seeds and seedling factory built by the Cross River State government.
Mr Buhari described the factory as a reference point in Nigeria’s effort to kick-start a revolution in agriculture.
“When we got into power, this administration launched a zero-oil economic roadmap as a way of making our country less dependent on oil, while encouraging investments in other sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture.
“Indeed, this factory speaks loudly about the giant strides we are making in agriculture as a country,” said an obviously elated Mr Buhari.
The president said he hoped that the factory would help improve rice production in Nigeria from three to four tones per hectre to about nine tones per hectre, and thereby help the country to achieve rice sufficiency.
He commended the Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, for establishing the factory.
“It is evident that by conceiving projects such as this, governor Ayade has a keen eye for tomorrow, focusing on projects that are building a new economic base for the state, rather than projects with short-term benefits for the purpose of making cheap political gains,” Mr Buhari said.

Niger Delta

Okpebholo Assures Corps Members Of Improved Welfare

Published

4 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.

Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.

The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.

Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.

“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.

“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.

“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.

Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.

“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.

“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.

The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.

Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.

Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.

She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.

“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.

Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.

She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.

The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.

She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.

Niger Delta

PDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority

Published

5 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.

The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.

The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.

Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.

“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.

He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.

According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.

He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.

“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.

Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.

He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”

He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.

Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.

“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.

He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.

“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.

He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.

Niger Delta

Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River

Published

5 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.

Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.

Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.

“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.

“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.

Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.

Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.