Niger Delta

Ewhrudjakpo Canvasses Support For Foundation

Published

4 years ago

March 9, 2022

Bayelsa’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on Monday called on all well-meaning Bayelsans to throw their weight behind the Gloria Diri Foundation (GDF) to make society a better place for all.
Ewhrudjakpo made the call while speaking as special guest of honour to flag-off the First Phase of the foundation’s Widows-Care Project at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.
Quoting scriptural reference from the Holy Bible book of Matthew 25, the Bayelsa deputy governor said attending to the needs of the poor in society, especially the widows, is actually giving to God, which opens the doors for manifold blessings.
He said though the Widows-Care Project was an initiative of the Bayelsa First Lady, it rightly deserves the material and financial support of all Bayelsans and lovers of the state to succeed, just as he noted that showing love for God and humanity entails sacrificial giving.
He pointed out that abundance and overflow of blessings were only guaranteed by giving, appealing to the widows selected for the first phase of the project and subsequent beneficiaries to make best use of the opportunities being given to them by the Foundation and other philanthropic individuals as well as organizations.
The state number two citizen encouraged widows to be courageous and optimistic, advising them never to allow their present challenges dampen their resolve to succeed in whatsoever profitable activity they engage in to make ends meet.
Earlier in her remarks, the Founder of the Gloria Diri Foundation and Wife of the Bayelsa State Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Gloria Diri, said she was divinely instructed to initiate the Windows-Care Project under the aegis of the GDF to positively touch the lives of widows in the state.
Mrs Diri explained that the Widows-Care Project was not a once-off activity, but a continual one which could only be sustained through support from government, NGOs, corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals, noting that no single person could independently meet the needs of all the poor in society and therefore solicited public support for the Widows-Care Project.
The Bayelsa First Lady added that the project will provide a wide spectrum of support for various categories of widows, ranging from skills training, development of existing businesses, and offering of educational scholarships to children of some widows, and respectively.
Speaking as chairman of the occasion, the Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Monday Edwin Obolo, thanked the First Lady for embarking on the Widows-Care Project, noting that it would go a long way to alleviating the plight of widows in the state.
In her goodwill message, the Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Kate Abiri, described the project as a form of evangelism to win souls for Christ and should be expanded and taken beyond its present scope, just as she called for support for the Widows-Care Project, appealing for its adoption as a social crusade to change the narrative of widows who are often deprived of their rights in their deceased spouses’ families.
On her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs.Faith Opene, expressed gratitude to Mrs. Gloria Diri for the supporting the widows and always giving hope to the hopeless in society.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

4 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

4 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

4 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.