Niger Delta
Association Boss Hails FG Over Pipeline Surveillance
The National Chairman of Ekpeye Oil and Gas Pipelines Host Families Association, Comrade Dogini Chidi, has commended the Federal Government’s initiative on pipelines surveillance.
This is particularly considering the positive results it has recorded in the increased output of oil and gas production in the country.
Chidi, who made the commendation during the association’s last quarter sensitisation programme in Ahoada Town recently, said the association is out to ensure that there is no more vandalisation of oil and gas facilities in Ekpeyeland.
He urged the Federal Government to complement the efforts of the host communities by creating job opportunities and empowerment programmes for the youths to sustain the existing peace in the area.
He noted that over time, there have been series of pollution in the area as a result of oil exploration activities, coupled with pipeline sabotage which has virtually engulfed all the communities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, “pipeline surveillance has come to stay. If we continue to protect the oil and gas facilities, surveillance job will create more job opportunities for our youths”.
The association chairman, however, faulted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report on Ubeta Deep Oil Field project carried out by Total Energies EP Nigeria Limited, and called on the Federal Government and all relevant authorities to reverse and review the report by ensuring that Ekpeye people are properly captured in it, to avoid and avert a chaotic situation in the area.
He also appealed to Ekpeye people to be more united than ever in order to be able to confront common challenges, contending that instead of disagreement, the Ubeta gas project should be seen as a uniting factor.
Chidi also advised all sons and daughters of Ekpeye in the bush to sheathe their swords and avail themselves of the opportunity to embrace peace for the betterment of Ekpeyeland, describing Ekpeyeland as one of the most endowed areas with natural resources in the Niger Delta, which he said should be properly harnessed and utilised for the good of the people.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Steve Wordu, described the Ekpeye region as the gateway and the engine room of Nigeria’s oil and gas exports, and appealed that Ekpeye should be part of the central committee or communities to be considered whenever oil and gas business is being discussed.
He noted that all the fiendish things that have happened in Ekpeyeland, particularly with respect to cultism, were as a result of neglect, saying the wealth of Ekpeye has been stolen to develop other areas and tribes while the people are dying in the midst of plenty.
While urging the people to wake up from their slumber and demand what is due them, Wordu stressed the need for them to use the opportunity provided by the Ubeta Deep Oil Field, to factor in the demand for the participation of Ekpeye people in the oil surveillance and security project, while underscoring the EIA report on Ubeta Deep Oil Field.
He further lamented that the EIA report did not take into consideration the Federal Government’s policy on local content, stressing that the local content policy gives consideration to certain levels of employment and contracts to oil companies’ host communities.
“That EIA report violates that policy of the Federal Government. If Ekpeye people allow that report to be approved, it means that we have betrayed ourselves and our future generations”, he said.
On his part, Alhaji Sheik Abdulrazak Philip Echeye, said the root causes of vandalisation of pipelines and electricity facilities are hunger and unemployment, and advised community leaders and youths in the various communities to form anti-sabotage volunteers to protect oil, gas and electricity facilities in the area.
He also urged Ekpeye people to key into oil business, stressing that “Mr. Alikor Dangote, for example, who is not from an oil producing area, has now built the biggest refinery in West Africa”.
He, therefore, admonished the youths to look into the area of ICT for a better future.
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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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