Rivers

OPM Hospital Delivers 780 Infants In Two Months

Published

5 years ago

May 3, 2021

No fewer than 780 babies have been delivered at the Omega Power Ministries (OPM) Free Specialist Hospital in Port Harcourt in the last two years, the Medical Director (MD), Dr Enighe Ugboma says.
Ugboma disclosed this yesterday at a ceremony to celebrate the second anniversary of the hospital located at Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area, near Port Harcourt.
She said that the hospital had been providing free maternal healthcare services to both expectant mothers and new mothers without collecting any fee from them.
“April 17, 2021 marked two years that this hospital was inaugurated out of the love that the OPM General Overseer, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has for the less privileged and the downtrodden in the society
“The hospital during the last two years had registered over 1,448 pregnant women for antenatal care; delivered 780 babies that included two sets of triplets and 23 sets of twins.
“Every service in the hospital is rendered free of charge to pregnant women. They include: registration, obstetric ultrasound scan, antenatal, consultancy, blood, drugs and vaginal tests as well as caesarean deliveries.
“On delivery, every woman is fed daily free of charge while each indigent patient is given a delivery pack containing: baby clothes and toiletries,” she said.
Ugboma added the hospital used to give transport fare to the women after delivery, making their departures from the hospital to their homes a thing of joy.
Speaking, the General Overseer of OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, said that the hospital was built and run from the offerings and tithes of members of the church.
He said that aside the two free specialist hospitals operated in Ohunku, Abia and Port Harcourt; that OPM had also built 15 schools where students and pupils acquire knowledge free of charge.
“We have also provided free accommodations to many in our estates and awarded scholarships to hundreds of students to study in both local and foreign universities.
“OPM did all these and many more through the offerings and tithes from our members for the benefits of the less privileged, irrespective of their tribes and religion,” he said.
Chinyere said that he was motivated to embark on the humanitarian works by his passion and commitment to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ who loves the poor and the suffering.
“So, we decided to build the hospitals with the mandate to attend to pregnant mothers due to the alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality in the country.
“We realised that these avoidable deaths are caused partly because many pregnant women and their husbands do not have access to quality antenatal services.
“Because their husbands cannot afford to pay hospital bills, they were not registering their pregnant wives to deliver their babies there. Many pregnant women lose their lives and that of their unborn children due to lack of proper medical care.
“So, we are happy that God is using OPM to touch the lives of the people as the hospital has delivered almost 800 babies in two years of operation,” he added.
Chinyere, however, said the hospital was expensive to run due to the overbearing cost of running its electric generators 24 hours daily, to power medical equipment in the facility.
He said it cost the church over N1million monthly to run its electric generators alone, aside maintenance cost and staff salaries, among others.
“So, we call on the government to immediately support us by restoring electricity back to this area, considering the many lives the hospital saves daily,” he appealed.
The President of OPM Divine Distributors, Dr Matt Offeh, lauded the General Overseer for not emulating some pastors, who allegedly used funds realised by their churches to buy private jets and live luxurious lifestyles.
According to him, OPM which was founded in 2006 had invested hundreds of millions to build and operate the specialist hospitals at no cost to its patients.
One of the beneficiaries, Saratu Musa, a Muslim and a nursing mother of an 11-month-old baby, said she was delivered of her daughter without paying kobo to the hospital.
“The hospital took care of me from the antenatal stage to actual delivery. They even fed me and my baby throughout my admission in the hospital,” she said.
Mrs Happiness Kingsley, who is six months’ pregnant also, said that the hospital had met all her medical needs, including free antenatal tests, scans, checkups and drugs.

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.

She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.

According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.

“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.

The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.

She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.

While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.

Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.

The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.

He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.

Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.

He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.

“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.

“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.

“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.

Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.

He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.

He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.

Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.

Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso