Niger Delta
Warri Flyover: Motorists Hail Delta Govt., Appeal For Remedial On Adjoining Route
Some motorists and commercial transporters operating in Warri and environs have lauded the Delta State Government on the ongoing construction work on the flyover at the Enerhen junction.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Tide’s source on Tuesday in Warri, they lamented the pains and man hours being lost in a journey of less than five minutes if the adjoining road was good.
They also appealed to the State Government to carry out remedial work on the Obaidele Street which serves as the only adjoining route to the Avenue and Warri/Sapele Roads.
The source reports that the flyover, which connects Warri South and Uvwie Local Government Areas of the state, was among the projects awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in 2023.
It further reports that since the construction company moved to site in July, the Warri/Sapele Road, Effurun/Sapele Road and Udu Road had remained closed.
The development had also forced some major transport companies located within the area to relocate their offices temporarily.
A motorist, Mr Samson Agbonlahor, said that the State Government could grade the adjoining route to allow for easy movement of vehicles and tricycles before moving to site.
“Sometimes, you can spend 20 minutes on this route to connect the Oil Field Road and some other times, you can spend more than an hour on this short distance”, he said.
Agbonlahor said remedial work on Obaidele Street would have eased the traffic and pains motorists experienced daily on the short route.
A commercial tricyclist, Mr. Anozie Cletus, said connecting the Warri/Sapele Road from the Enerhen junction had become a nightmare.
According to him, only commercial tricyclists coming from the Effurun axis and conveying heavy luggages now pass through the access route.
“Those carrying passengers only stopped at the barricaded point while the passengers trekked a distance to connect either Warri/Sapele Road or Avenue, depending on the direction they were going.
“Those carrying heavy luggages do not have other options than to pass through the adjoining route.
“Julius Berger is doing a great job at the Enerhen junction and we are appealing to the state government to do a little work on the Obaidele Street to ease our movement and pains”, he said.
Another commercial tricyclist, Mr. Monday Ighomena, recalled how he spent about two hours on the route following the breakdown of a truck.
“You know there is no way to reverse; everywhere is tight coupled with the heavy downpour; nobody to control traffic, it was a sad experience.
“I will use this medium to appeal to the state government to help us amend the adjoining route to allow free-flow of traffic”, he said.
The source reports that the Delta State Government awarded contracts for two flyovers to Julius Berger Plc. in 2023.
The multi-billion Naira projects sited at the PTI junction and Enerhen junction were flag-off in November 2023, by the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The State Government during the occasion, acknowledged the pains residents would go through when work would commence and promised to create access routes.
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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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