Niger Delta

Deputy Gov Wants Community Hooked Up To National Grid

Published

4 years ago

January 7, 2022

The Bayelsa State Government has directed the Managing Director of the State Electricity Company, Engineer Olice Kemenanabo, to immediately connect Otuasega Community in Ogbia Local Government Area to the national grid.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive at an emergency meeting with community leaders of Otuasega and representatives of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, quoted the Deputy Governor explaining that the decision to hook up Otuasega to the national grid had become inevitable following the failure of SPDC to fulfill its earlier promise of providing the community with electricity before the end of December last year.
The Tide reports that the Bayelsa media space sometime late last year was awash with reports quoting a statement from the deputy governor’s office that the SPDC had earlier set December 14th,2021 as target date to commence power supply from the SPDC Kolo Creek Oil and Gas Manifold to cluster communities in the area.
The State’s number two citizen who decried the continued black out in the Otuasega community and its environs, blamed SPDC’s failure on the inability of government, the SPDC, and the people of the community to meet regularly and follow up the resolutions earlier reached at the September 24, 2021 tripartite meeting.
He said the community deserved to enjoy power supply from the National Grid as a temporary measure, while efforts would be intensified to power the community from the SPDC manifold in the first quarter of 2022.
According to Senator Ewhrudjakpo, meetings would be regularly held with SPDC until the power supply issue in the area was laid to rest, noting that he was not happy that the project could not be delivered as earlier agreed, appealing to the people of the community to be patient and remain law-abiding so as to enable government take practical steps towards ending the protracted blackout in the community.
Speaking earlier on behalf of the Otuasega Community, the CDC Chairman, Mr Raniyar Marcus, expressed disappointment with the SPDC for reneging on its promise to deliver the job by the December 14, 2021 deadline collectively agreed by all the parties.
The CDC Chairman noted that the December 21st non-violent protest that led to the shutting down of the SPDC manifold was staged by the community to register their anger, stressing that SPDC had always taken the Otuasega people for granted.
In his presentation, the Community Relations Manager, SPDC (East), Mr. Evans Krukrubo, explained that the multinational company was not happy that the power project was not delivered according to schedule.
Krukrubo, however, thanked the Otuasega community for their maturity, patience and understanding so far, assuring them that the SPDC was committed to working with the state government to deliver on the project by the end February 2022.

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.