Niger Delta

Medical Council Inducts 26 Doctors Of Igbinedion University

Published

3 years ago

February 15, 2023

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Monday inducted 26 newly qualified medical doctors of the 2021/2022 session of Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Edo State, into professional practice.
The Registrar of the council, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, represented by Dr Henry Okwuokenye, a Deputy Registrar of the council, administered the oath.
Sanusi advised the new doctors to embrace specialisation in the field of medicine to enable them remain relevant and in a global competitive world.
Speaking during the 17th oath-taking and induction ceremony in Okada, Benin, the Vice-Chancellor of IUO, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, noted that 18 out of the 26 new doctors were females.
Ezemonye, who drew the attention of government to the massive ongoing brain drain in the health sector, said the phenomenon was affecting and depleting the number of doctors in the country.
“Today’s event provides a further opportunity to draw attention to the massive on-going brain drain in the health sector.
“The phenomenon is affecting medical doctors and all cadres of health workers. It is depleting the number of doctors in the country.
“And impacting negatively on the doctor to patient ratio and contributing to worsening of the unacceptable high morbidity and mortality data for the country.
“The urgency for government and all stakeholders to address the issue cannot be over emphasised,” he said.
According to Ezemonye, Igbinedion university places premium on high ethical standards in the training of its medical students.
“We will, therefore, continue to collaborate with the council to produce doctors that will uphold the Hippocratic oath and practice the profession with honour, dignity and fear of God.
“Altogether, 26 medical doctors produced by the Oba Sijuade Okunade College of Health Sciences, who have been found worthy in character and learning will be inducted into the medical profession at this ceremony.
“An induction ceremony for newly qualified doctors is certainly an opportunity to reinforce the ethical basis of the noble profession of Medicine and Dentistry,” he added.
He commended the visionary leadership of the Founder and Chancellor, Chief (Dr) Gabriel Igbinedion for his foresightedness in establishing the university.
The Guest Speaker, Dr Osahon Enabulele, President, World Medical Association, called on the Federal Government to address all the push factors pushing medical doctors out of the country.
Osahon said: “ Insecurity must be resolved if we must have our workforce intact. No doctor will want to work in an environment where he or she will be kidnapped.
“No doctor will also want to work in an environment where there are no working tools and medical equipment to work with.
According to him, the brain drain in the health sector needs the transparent and sincere efforts of government to tackle.
Osahon, however, urged the young doctors to equip themselves with the rules and guidelines governing the profession for them to be aware of their rights in the workplace.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.