Niger Delta

Community Cries Out Over Poor Road, Seeks Wike’s Intervention

Published

6 years ago

November 18, 2019

The people and residents of Bundu Ama in Port Harcourt City have cried out over the deplorable condition of their only road and appealed to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike to rescue them.
Speaking to our correspondent, Chairman of Bundu Ama, Chief Tamunokonbia Sunday, said the condition of the road as at present is terrible.
He said taxi drivers that ply the route have shunned the route because of the condition of the road.
“ Taxis are very low and the potholes are about six feet deep, so they can no longer pass through them freely”, he said.
The chairman, who lamented that people of the area are suffering daily on the road, appealed to the state government to help them fix the road.
Chief Sunday said during sanitation days the community organise youths in the area to fill some of the potholes with blocks and stones, but lamented that with little rainfall, all such efforts were washed away because of the nature of the drainage.
“Bundu is a PDP community with over 63,000 voting strength. It is Ward five, which is regarded as the political armament that decides the vote of Constituency 1 in Port Harcourt City.
“We are calling on our Governor, the Mr Project, to come and help us. He can come or delegate people for sight seeing and know what we are passing through on daily basis”, the Chairman said.
Also commenting on the issue, the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), through the Vice Chairman of the Union, Mr Eugene Mbachu, said the condition of Bundu road has been of great concern to its members.
“Each time the community would ask us to contribute money to repair the road. We are appealing to the state government to help us.
“Bundu is part of Rivers State. Let the Governor, the Mr Project, come and help us because we all voted for him”, he said.
A taxi driver , Godwin Peter , who plies Bundu- Lagos Bus stop route, lamented that the little gain they make goes for maintenance of their vehicles.
Peter, who stated that he has operated on the route for over four years, disclosed that most of their members have left the Bundu route because of the terrible nature of the road.
Another taxi driver, Pastor Yeme Johnson, said for the past two years the situation of the road has worsened such that taxi drivers are shunning the route.
He therefore called on the State Government to come to the aid of the people.
A businessman and resident of the area, Chief Maxwell Bassy, said the major problem affecting any resident of the area is the deplorable condition of the road.
“Each time you are returning to your residence and call taxi drivers for a drop to Bundu, they will look at you as if you want them to take you to hell.
“If you are lucky and they accept to go, they will charge you so high and if you are carrying any load, sorry for you.
“The road is terrible and it is as if Bundu is not part of Port Harcourt. Let Governor Wike, our Mr Quality Project, hear the cry of Bundu residents and help us “, he said.

By: Chris Oluoh

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Private Sector Investments

Published

3 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will continue to promote private sector investments in order to enhance economic prosperity.

Eno, who stated this recently at the inauguration of a new Zenith Bank branch in Uyo, said private sector growth was critical to employment generation and the overall development of the State.

He said his long-standing business relationship with Zenith Bank exposed him to the critical roles that banks could play in supporting private sector growth.

“The bank played a laudable role in the growth of Royalty Hotels, a brand I pioneered and led until I joined public service.

“It is my hope that the bank will accord the same support to other private sector investments in the state, be it micro, small or medium-scale enterprise”, he said.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank PLC, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, described the new business office as a significant milestone in the life of the bank.

She thanked successful administrations in the state for their support to the bank over the years, saying, ”We thank the Governor for creating a conducive environment for business to thrive.

“We opened our first branch in Akwa Ibom about 25 years ago, we have enjoyed a very good relationship with the government and people of the state.

“Akwa Ibom stands out as a major business friendly state. The state is clean, accommodating, and fast developing, we commend the government for this”, she said.

The Zenith Bank chief reiterated the bank’s commitment to sustain its partnership with the government and people of Akwa Ibom in order to make mutually impactful and meaningful progress.

She urged business owners in the state, especially women, to leverage the initiatives being offered by the bank to grow their businesses.

Niger Delta

Delta Prioritises Primary Healthcare Over Flyover Projects

Published

3 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Delta Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services across the state, dismissing claims that it was focusing more on visible infrastructure projects than grassroots healthcare delivery.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, made the clarification while reacting to comments by health influencer, Aproko Doctor.

Aproko Doctor recently suggested on social media that political leaders often prioritised flyovers and modern hospitals while neglecting primary healthcare centres.

Onojaeme said the claim did not reflect the situation in Delta, noting that healthcare remained a central pillar of the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori administration’s development agenda.

According to him, although road projects and flyovers are visible across the state, deliberate investments have also been made in healthcare infrastructure and services.

He said that within two years, the state government had renovated 150 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts out of the 441 public health facilities in the state.

According to him, another 150 centres are already undergoing planning and preparation for renovation.

“The effort will bring the number of upgraded primary healthcare centres to 300, thereby improving access to quality healthcare at the community level and reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state’s free maternal and under-five healthcare programme continued to yield positive results, including reductions in maternal and infant mortality, while easing financial burdens on families.

“Gov. Oborevwori recently approved the release of N2 billion to sustain the programme, alongside regular funding to strengthen Universal Health Coverage in the state,” he said.

Onojaeme also said that state-owned hospitals were granted autonomy to retain and utilise their internally generated revenue, enabling them to procure drugs, maintain equipment and respond more efficiently to patient needs.

“In specialised healthcare delivery, dialysis machines have been installed in state hospitals, helping to reduce waiting time for treatment while lowering dialysis costs from about N70,000 to N45,000 per session,” he said.

He said that CT scan machines installed at Warri Central Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, were already improving diagnosis of conditions such as stroke and internal injuries.

“While newly procured echocardiography machines are strengthening early detection of heart-related conditions.”

The commissioner said the government had ordered three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines for installation at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri and DELSUTH, Oghara, ensuring coverage across the three senatorial districts.

“While some states do not have a single MRI machine, Delta State is procuring three at once, with delivery expected by April as site preparations are ongoing,” he said.

Onojaeme said the government was establishing a new College of Health Sciences in Ovrode, Isoko North Local Government Area, to complement the existing institution in Ofuoma and boost the training of middle-level health manpower.

“The long-abandoned Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan was nearing completion, while another Specialist Hospital was being developed in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area, modelled after the Asaba Specialist Hospital.

According to him, Delta remains the only state in the country with more than 60 functional government-owned hospitals, adding that the current administration is determined to further expand healthcare access.

On health insurance, Onojaeme said enrollment under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme had surpassed 2.78 million residents as of January 2026, making it one of the leading state-supported health insurance programmes in the country.

He explained that the scheme covered both formal and informal sector workers, while prioritising vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five and the elderly, through the Equity Health Plan.

The commissioner added that the scheme recently enrolled 10,000 widows and continues to register indigent residents across the state.

He also disclosed that the Delta State Contributory Health Commission had introduced facial recognition technology at accredited facilities to improve efficiency and transparency in service delivery.

Onojaeme reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage and delivering affordable and accessible healthcare services to residents across the state.

Niger Delta

C’River Assembly Seeks Crackdown On Drug Abuse

Published

3 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State House of Assembly has urged the State Government to urgently enforce drug laws to curb the rising menace of substance abuse.

The resolution followed a matter of urgent public importance raised by Yakurr I lawmaker, Mr. Cyril Omini, during plenary in Calabar.

Omini cited a tragic incident in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, involving a 23-year-old man allegedly under the influence of drugs.

He said the suspect, Ubi Bassey, allegedly beheaded his father, Bassey Okoi, on February 2.

“Drug abuse has become widespread among youths, with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and tramadol commonly abused.

“In spite of warnings by health and government agencies, illicit drug trading and consumption persist across many communities”, Omini said.

According to him, the trend has led to early deaths and, in extreme cases, violent crimes against innocent persons.

Omini warned the incident had caused fear in Ugep, cautioning that failure to act decisively could worsen social decay.

He, however, commended the State Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Okoi Obono (rtd), for efforts to restore peace in the area.

Lawmakers called for sustained drug sensitisation, youth-focused campaigns, stronger partnerships with non-governmental organisations, and stricter enforcement against drug peddlers and users.

The Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, expressed sadness over the incident and urged prompt prosecution of the suspect to deter other youths.