Niger Delta

UNICAL Sinks $30m On Solar Energy

Published

8 years ago

March 16, 2018

Thirty million dollars is to be spent for the construction of a solar energy project at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) by the Nigeria-German Energy Partnership to enable the institution resolve its power outage problem.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for commencement of the electricity project at the University campus staff quarters, Consul General of Germany Herr. Ingo Herbert charged Dantata Solar Energy Limited (development/technical partners) to put in their best in the project execution so that the project could come to fruition.
Herbert stated that $30 million has been set aside by the Nigeria-German solar energy power partnership to be used for construction/take-off of 10mega watts power project at the university campus.
Coordinator for the solar energy partnership, Jeremy Gains, who spoke with journalists shortly after the ground breaking ceremony at the project site, said that the 30 million dollars will be paid from some of the monies that the university was spending for the procurement of diesel.
Gains stressed that the money that the university used to spend on diesel would now become an investment in the solar power plant.
He said, “the project is going to cost us $30 million. It will be paid for, from some of the monies that the university is spending on diesel. It means that the university is going to spend on the solar energy.
“If you look here it will go as far as the fence and the River. It is going to provide enough power for the university community, for University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and the Cross River University.
When asked if the system was going to be sustainable, he responded, “the system we will built here will run at normal hours for 25years, and it will continue, and after that the place becomes fully powered.”
Continuing, he noted that “the system is designed for the university to pay for it. When they pay it off after 7years, they will begin to enjoy free electricity.”
He said that the solar power system had been designed in a manner that it would provide constant electricity on the campus for 24 hours, 7days of the week for twenty five years, adding that the power project was not a federal government project but a project that was born out of the partnership.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Akpagu said that upon completion of the project, the institution would be ranked among the best universities in Nigeria, adding that it was a stride that could make any of the management staff to walk with his shoulders high above ones’ head.
“When the university was designed in 1975, it wasn’t designed with the use of electricity in mind but as of today football is even being played in most stadiums with the use of electricity. By then people didn’t even know how to use laptops.
“If you go round the institution you will discover that there are some bulbs that have no light. When once this project is completed all the bulbs are going to have light with the aid of these solar panels”, he said.
Akpagu stated that the institution had no any other choice than key into the partnership given the stress that it had under gone just to ensure that there was light on the campus.
He said that UNICAL procured on the average about three trucks of diesel which cost 30 million naira on monthly basis outside monies paid as bill for electricity consumption to Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).
Earlier in his remarks, former minister of Power, Dr Lanre Babalola, lauded the management of University of Calabar for the courage and vision, adding that when the power reforms started it was all about staying in Abuja and urged other universities to borrow a leaf from the university of Calabar so as to solve the electricity problem which had been bedevilling the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

Niger Delta

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

Published

11 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

11 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

11 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.