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Dickson Warns Civil Servants Against Partisan Politics

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13 years ago

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In what looks like reading the riot acts, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Monday warned civil and public servants on the state’s payroll to avoid partisan politics and also stop lobbying his office for juicest positions.

Governor Dickson said those caught will be punished according to the civil service rule, saying that civil service as the engine room of any administration does not need unnecessary distractions.

The Governor, who stated this during his media interactive sessions with civil servants in the state, also used the opportunity to announce the suspension of four top civil servants for  various acts of indiscipline.

The affected workers are; Mr. John Appah, Surveyor Ngibina Kopul, Ransom Temerigha and Akpoebi Ifidi.

Their offences as disclosed by the Governor ranged from employment racketeering, indiscriminate allotment and allocation of land against the masterplan of the City Council Development Authority and act of insubordination.

Expressing the readiness of his administration to partner with the workers in the State, the governor said his administration would not condone any act of indiscipline such as truancy, lateness to work and financial impropriety.

The governor said that anybody caught in the act of mismanaging public fund would be dealt with in accordance with the law, disclosing that his administration has been able to gather reports on the alleged fraud being perpetrated by some workers.

“Those who go on committing payroll fraud, their cup shall be filled soon but on a serious note, the Head of Service should help us, we want to see how we can reduce the huge wage bill,” he said.

On the alleged participation of workers in partisan politics, the Governor advised that any worker that want to take part in active politics should resign his/her appointment in accordance with civil service edict, threatening that anybody that fails to heed to the advice would be shown the way out of office.

His words: This government will not condone any act of indiscipline. Anybody that wants to participate in politics should resign his/her appointment and join us at this side of the divide. Some of you, I learnt have purchased nomination forms for the next local government election without resigning their appointment.

“When you are tired as a civil servant, you resign or retire and come and join us in the ‘roforofo’ work. But as long as every day and every month, you go and collect salary and claim arrears. You are a civil servant, you must give us the work of a civil servant,” he said.

“Hon. Dickson said the contribution of the civil servants in the state is critical to his Restoration Agenda, adding, you are the engine room. It is you and you alone who will determine the success or failure of government.

“One thing, I want to leave behind, if you will all support, I will like you all to become better civil servants so that whoever comes after me will meet a better civil service than I have met. That, I think is basically the thrust of this interaction”.

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850-bed UCTH overstretched, services 5m patients – CMD

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5 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.
He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.
The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.
He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.
“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as  between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.
“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.
He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.
Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.
He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.
The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.
“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.
“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said
In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.
He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.
The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.
He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.
According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.
The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.
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Niger Delta

Police Burst Child Trafficking Syndicate In A’Ibom … Nab 3 Suspects

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5 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.
She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.
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Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers 

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5 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.
The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.
AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.
“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.
“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.
According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.
Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.
“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.
He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.
“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.
Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.
CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.
The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.
Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.
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