Niger Delta

Environmentalists Want Proper Clean-Up Of Oil Spill Sites In Communities

Published

5 years ago

July 12, 2021

Environmentalists under the aegis of Environmental rights action(ERA) have berated oil majors operating in Bayelsa State for their improper remediation and clean-up of sites of oil spills in Biseni clan of Yenagoa council area of the state.
The Tide gathered that constant oil spill has reportedly rocked Tein community of Biseni Kingdom.
Reports made available to newsmen by the Environment Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) from their field reports, have it that the constant spill which had occurred in the Biseni-Asamabiri cluster, with 14 inches pipe which in turn leads to Obiobio, between March and February 2020, in a facility own by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC has caused an unimaginable hazard to the clan’s Environment.
The pipe leak, ERA’s head in the State, Comrade Alagoa Morris, said, the spill has not been cleaned up, noting that NOSDRA and the Ministry of Environment were not there when they came for the clamping, in the fishing and farming settlement.
The Tide further gathered that the people of Tein in Biseni Kingdom have also experienced several oil spills for years which ERA/FoEN has said was as a result of equipment failure.
“The operators, Agip, should ensure that they carry the regulators along.When we had that they are coming with Swampbugi again we felt we should follow up on what is happening to the Environment”, the ERA boss said.
“I Want to join my voice with the people, the families, and others saying that Agip should do the needful by coming to ensure that the Environment that was polluted by their own crude oil is properly cleaned up. Possible remediation should be carried out.
“And that is what we want. We’re demanding for a sustainable Environment for our people,and that is what we need,” he said.
Also corroborating ERA’s position, a community leader, Chief David Obuma, said over the time the clan has suffered alot from the oil companies, Shell and Agip, saying the multinationals have never done any perfect clean up job on their Environment.
“Here when we hear any spillage they will say it is sabotage, does it means that the spill cannot be cleaned?”
“They always term any oil spill as sabotage, meaning somebody must have burst the pipe, who is the person? No name, so, we are worried,
“Last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, around March, there was a spillage in 14 inches pipe beginning from the cluster to Obiobio, in Ahoada, before the people realized, the oil companies came with excavators’, without even letting the Chiefs know that such a thing has happened. They covered it up till today; we have written letters to Agip, they have not done anything,
“For us we are not just a host Community, but also landlords, because when you say host Community that means you are hosting somebody, that can run away any time”, he said.
Obuma who once served as member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly called on Nigerians to come to the aid of the people, saying they were in a precarious situation.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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.