Niger Delta

Ex-Edo Gov Wants To Succeed Oshiomhole

Published

10 years ago

January 27, 2016

Ahead of this year’s gov
ernorship election in Edo State, former governor the state and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, says is the assertion that only a Bini man can win the forthcoming governorship election in the state iswrong, adding that he remains the best aspirant of the party to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
He urged delegates of the party to be wary of aspirants whose only credential is money, stressing the need for them to cast their votes based on the credentials and track records of the aspirants and not how rich they are or the geographical zone they hail from.
Osunbor is one of the APC governorship aspirants and hails from Edo Central senatorial zone of the state. He addressed newsmen, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, secretariat in Benin City.
The Prof. of Law explained that he decided to remain calm over his ambition all along in order to respect the instruction by Governor Oshiomhole that governorship aspirants must not distract his developmental projects.
Noting that he has respect for all other aspirants of the party, Prof Osunbor said he considered himself the most suitable candidate, adding that the belief that only a Bini (Edo South) candidate can win the election had been proved wrong in the past, notably in 2012 when a non-Bini man defeated a Bini man with a wide margin.
He said: “I am not unmindful of arguments about which senatorial zone’s turn it is to produce the next governor. I believe that this is a legitimate issue to raise in order to ensure fairness, equity and justice amongst the component parts of the state, Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North. Nevertheless, I want to be assessed based on my antecedents and record of performance rather than simply on arguments based on zoning,” he said.
Meanwhile a governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Solomon Edebiri, has denied the rumour in the state that he was aborting his governorship aspiration and had stepped down for another aspirant, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Chief Edebiri who denied the rumour while speaking with newsmen in Benin at the PDP state secretariat, said, “I want to tell you clearly that there is no truth in the rumour. It is a lie. As far as I and my campaign organisation are concerned, we still remain the candidate to beat in the state.
“We remain the number one candidate in the forthcoming governorship race because we speak the language of the people. The people are with us. All we are asking is for the leaders of the PDP to listen to the people of Edo State.
“I am looking forward to free and fair primaries. The only thing that can survive and regain the peoples’ confidence once again in PDP in Edo State is for it to conduct free and fair primaries, where whoever wins will be accepted and earn the respect and support of other aspirants,
Adeboye’s Visit: Good Omen To Rivers State – Banigo
Deputy Governor of Rivers State Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo said the visit to the State by the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye at the first month of 2016 is a good omen to the Government and people of Rivers State.

Members of the Federated Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Chapter, during the visit of the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George to the chapel in Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

Niger Delta

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

Published

3 days 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

3 days 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

3 days 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.