Niger Delta

Suspended Lawmakers’ Presence Stalls Edo Assembly Sitting

Published

12 years ago

June 18, 2014

Efforts made by members of
the Edo State House of Assembly to sit yesterday morning was aborted following the presence of the Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Festus Ebea, and three others, who were suspended last week.
The suspended lawmakers, Ebea, Patrick Osayinmen, Jude Ise-Idehen and Friday Ogierhakhi, shunned the ruling of the High Court in Benin-City, which restrained them from entering the premises of the assembly.
Following security reports that the lawmakers were mobilising thugs and arms to storm the assembly, the police searched the offices of the lawmakers as early as 6a.m. while their cars were all parked outside the premises before they were allowed to enter the premises.
The lawmakers, including the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, entered the hallowed chambers at exactly 10:15a.m. but could not commence sitting when the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers insisted that the four suspended members should leave the premises. Tension heightened when a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, Rasaq Momoh, took over the seat of the Sergeant-At-Arms and refused to vacate the seat. The APC lawmakers insisted he should vacate the seat, but Igbe calmed the situation while the lawmaker remained on the seat.
Speaking to journalists, Chairman of the Committee on Information, Kabiri Adjoto, explained that: “We could not sit because the suspended four lawmakers were in the hallowed chambers. We told them that we have visitors in the assembly as a result the Sergeant-At-Arms could not come out with the mace.
“They went to the Federal High Court initially and court said we should not declare the seat of those who decamped to the PDP vacant. We obeyed the court and we did not declare their seats vacant. Now, they committed misconduct, they were suspended, then a high court restricted them from entering the assembly, yet they defied the order of the court by showing up today. Because we believe in the sanctity of the assembly, we said we could not sit having strangers in our midst.” Also reacting, one of the suspended lawmakers, Friday Ogierhakhi, said that their suspension remains illegal and would not be respected.
According to him, If they refuse to revert to status quo, the situation will remain the same. That is why we are in a stalemate. Asked if their action does not amount to contempt of court, he declared that: “There is nothing like contempt because the federal high court has sat over this matter before they went to the high court.”
Meanwhile, in an effort to clarify the issues that led to the breaking into the state assembly by the suspended lawmakers, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and some persons of having a hand in the crisis.
In a statement signed by its state chairman, Anselm Ojezua, the party called on President Goodluck Jonathan and other concerned well-meaning citizens, “to prevail on the suspended lawmakers, their political leaders and their uniformed collaborators to stop these acts of needless defiance and impunity and show due respect to the judiciary, the rule of law and our respected royal fathers.”

Niger Delta

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

Published

22 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.

Niger Delta

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

Published

22 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers

Published

22 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.