Niger Delta

Delta LG Polls: Oborevwori Urges PDP Candidates To Close Gaps

Published

2 years ago

July 12, 2024

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the forthcoming local government Elections to close gaps and ensure total defeat of the opposition.
Oborevwori gave the charge, Wednesday, at the PDP mega rally held in Asaba to sensitise the party faithful and the people of the state ahead of tomorrow election.
He said PDP candidates must not rest on their oars, adding that last-minute campaigns had become necessary to ensure total victory for the party, Saturday.
He assured the people of a free, fair and credible election and cautioned against violence during and after the election.
The Governor, receiving defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties, said they were proactive in their decision because their parties would have lost in the election.
According to Oborevwori, the rally was organised to gather all the party faithful and leaders together after about one month of campaigning across the state.
“I believe in free and fair elections, but while we move from community to community, ward to ward and local government to another, no other party is campaigning.
“But to all the chairmanship candidates and the councillors, as you leave here today, organise roadshows and ask the people to come out with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote.
“Don’t assume they will write any result, because any result that is not genuine, whether for chairman or councillor, will not be accepted”, the Governor said.
He thanked the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the APC in Udu Local Government for defecting to the PDP.
“This is good for democracy, if you assess your opponent and you know that you cannot beat him or her, don’t contest; support your opponent in the true spirit of democracy.
“We are doing well in the construction of roads, bridges and flyovers across the state.
“So, the people of Delta are aware that we mean well as a government and as we go to polls on Saturday, there should be no form of violence, no fighting, just go there and cast your vote” he said.
Appreciating former Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, for joining campaigns at the ward and local government in his area, Oborevwori pledged more sustainable developments in line with his MORE Agenda.
In his remarks, the state Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, expressed confidence that the PDP would win all the seats across the 25 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
According to him, Delta is a PDP state, and the party has been working all through to woo voters across the state.
“We’ve worked hard, we shall win in all the LGAs and the wards, but I urge the candidates to reach out to all voters with their voter cards to vote for PDP.
“Since 1999, it has been PDP all the way; we are the winning team. We have built roads, empowered our people, established schools, and our state has been running very well”, the Deputy Governor said.
In their separate remarks, Okowa and the Speaker of Delta House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor among others, hailed the party for ensuring grassroots campaigns good to earn them 100 per cent victory.
Meanwhile, Delta PDP Chairman, Chief Kingsley Esiso, while receiving APC defectors from Warri South-West, Udu, Bomadi, and Burutu LGAs among others, said the rally was a celebration of victory for PDP.
“We do not have any rival; it is PDP all the way.
“In the past few weeks, we have taken campaigns to all the nooks and crannies of the 25 LGAs of the state.
“We have not seen other parties campaigning”, he said.

Niger Delta

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.