Niger Delta

Cluster Board Lauds SPDC, Knocks NAOC Over Projects, Implementation Of GMoU

Published

5 years ago

June 30, 2021

The Kolo Creek Cluster Development Board, KCDB, an SPDC funded cluster in the Ogbia council area of Bayelsa State have lauded the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, for the execution of projects and the implementation of terms entered in their GMoU with community members of the cluster board.
The chairman of KCDB, Barr. Ebelema Danadana gave the commendation in Elebele community while speaking with newsmen on an inspection tour of ongoing projects of the cluster board.
Danadana noted that the multinational oil company has done well in the four cluster member communities of Elebele, Otuasega, Imiringi and Yibama (Oruma), respectively.
He said through the model adopted by the cluster board in the execution of projects, SPDC has made commendable progress in the timely release of funds for projects by the board.
The cluster chairman said upon assumption of office in 2019, the executive of the KCDB under his leadership have resolve the bottlenecks hitherto impeding development in communities of the cluster, saying that there are now ongoing projects simultaneously in each community of the board.
“In this cluster board we’ve been able to put all problems aside, we’re executing projects and programmes in all the member communities of the Kolo creek cluster development board”, he said.
“In all the four member communities of Elebele, Otuasega, Imiringi and Yibama (Oruma) apart from various infrastructural projects, we’re also developing manpower through scholarship schemes. We’ve also been gender sensitive by ceding to women a certain percentage of projects for their empowerment. We commend the SPDC for the timely release of funds for the board which has made it easy for the execution of all the projects we’re seeing in the member communities of the cluster”, he added.
“The concrete roads, markets, flood protection embarkments, the various town halls, corpers lodges and even the hospitals in some of the communities of the cluster board were all executed by the SPDC”, he noted.
Meanwhile, the Kolo creek cluster development board has also taken a swipe on the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, for the absence of any project in the area despite having some of its major facilities in their domain.
The cluster described the oil company as insensitive to the plights of the people, owing to the health and environmental hazards associated with the exploration and exploitation activities, adding that upon various emissaries of the communities to NAOC, the oil major has not yielded to the demands of its host communities.
“Aside those areas where Agip has major of its facilities in Bayelsa State, communities of Kolo creek serve as the second highest area where Agip pipelines and other infrastructure were located.
“But even the gas turbine built here in Elebele by this company to service the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa doesn’t give any of the communities here power,
“But because we’re peace loving people, we’ve been over looking them. No vandalism of their equipment, nothing happening to their facilities partly due to our peaceful disposition as host communities”, the cluster boss said.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

5 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

5 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

5 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.