Niger Delta
Okowa Seeks Support From Religious Leaders, Others
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has appealed to religious leaders and Delta residents to support the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr Sheriff Oborevwori in the March 11 Governorship election.
Okowa made the appeal on Friday at a meeting with members of the Isoko Church Leaders Council held at God’s Fountain of Life Mission, Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.
The Governor also urged them to vote for all the PDP candidates for the Delta House of Assembly in various constituencies across the state.
He thanked members of the Forum for the opportunity given to him to talk to them.
Okowa, who was PDP Vice-Presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential election, described Oborevwori as a God fearing man.
He added that Oborevwori, who is also the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, had the needed experience to inspire more development in the state.
According to him, Oborevwori will consolidate the tempo of infrastructure and human capital development recorded in the state by his administration if elected as Governor.
On the outcome of the last Presidential and National Assembly election, Okowa said the exercise was compromised, adding that the outcome was not the will of God.
“We saw the manipulation of the election coming and the Church of Christ prayed against the situation which we have just found ourselves.
“Obviously, this is not the will of God. It is not the will of God that the Chapel in Aso Rock will be closed for four years as a result of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is the time for us to truly pray. It is a time for me to encourage the Church of Christ to continue to pray.
“I believe this is the time for us to dwell in the light of God so that His will will be done in our state and in Nigeria.
“This is the time for us to rise up in faith and not time to mourn. The church must be prayerful, cautious and have to think from inside.
“It is my prayer that the chapel in Government House, Asaba, will remain to the glory of God”, the Governor said.
On his part, Oborevwori solicited the support of the Church and religious leaders in the state towards his victory in the March 11 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in the country.
He assured the people of Delta that he would not disappoint them if elected as governor of the state.
Oborevwori said that he would build on the achievements recorded by the Okowa-led administration in the state to the glory of God.
Earlier, the President, Isoko Church Leaders Council, Bishop John Aruakpor said the meeting was apt and necessary as it was a platform to meet and rub minds together.
Aruakpor said Nigerians were demoralised with the outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“As Christians, we should not give up because the storm of life cannot stop us. The end has not come because the Nigeria of our dream is coming”, he said.
The bishop, however, urged the people to vote massively for the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the March 11 gubernatorial election.
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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.
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.
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.
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