Niger Delta
Jonathan, Ogbuku, Diri Preach Unity, Peace … As Bayelsa Clan Installs Monarch
Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said without unity and peace no community in the society can achieve any meaningful development.
He stated this at the coronation of a substantive king for the Emeyal Clan in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Wapaebiama David Amakiri, weekend.
Represented by a former Commissioner for Education in the State, Mr. Tobias James, Jonathan lauded the clan for their high sense of unity and love, noting that without love and peace the clan would not have been able to install a new monarch because progress would have been elusive.
The Tide learnt that Emeyal Clan is one of the four sister clans of the Ogbia Kingdom.
Jonathan advised the larger Ogbia Kingdom to learn to forgive one another and eschew rancour and acrimony, saying that the clan has once again demonstrated that with unity there is hardly any insurmountable obstacle and height in life.
“I want to thank the Emeyal Clan for their high sense of love, unity and commitment to progress and development. Without unity and love I believe this clan wouldn’t have been able to conduct an election which was regarded as very free, fair and peaceful which produced the monarch being installed here today.
“I also want to advise other clans and kingdoms in Nigeria to emulate the example of the Emeyal clan. I’ll also like to wish the new king well and success in his kingdom and reign. Emeyal clan has demonstrated to the world, especially the Niger Delta region, that indeed they’re a united, peace loving clan”, he said.
Presenting the staff of office, the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, cautioned against unlawful dethronement and acrimony, saying the Chieftaincy laws of the state were anti-illegal dethronement and unnecessary balkanization of kingdoms and communities.
Represented by the State’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, the State Chief Executive congratulated the new monarch, saying Government was willing to continue partnering and protecting the royal institutions, saying they are an integral fabric of peace and development in the society as well as institutions for cultural preservation.
“This coronation and presentation of Staff of office to the Obanobhan (King) of Emeyal Clan demonstrates our height of respect and synergy expected from both Government and the traditional institution.
“As you may know, our chieftaincy laws and other extant instruments in our state concerning installation of traditional rulers were against unlawful dethronement.
“I, therefore, urge the entire clan to cooperate for the unity, peace and progress of this kingdom. I want to congratulate the dynamic and peace loving people of this clan for their continued show of affection and love for each other and their resolve to forge ahead in togetherness and unity”, the Governor said.
Similarly, the Managing Director of the Niger Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, charged communities of the region to be more united in order to attract maximum benefits from the commission’s interventions, noting that without unity and peace there was nothing the agency could do in any disunited community or kingdom of the region.
He commended the Emeyal Clan and the people of Ogbia for disproving the alleged disunity in the kingdom.
“If anybody still believes that the Ogbia people weren’t united, I believe the crowd here, and the number of paramount rulers from various communities of the four different clans in this coronation ceremony has disproved them.
“As an agency, the NDDC can only operate in an atmosphere of unity, and peace. I therefore call on the Niger Delta communities to be more than ever be united and continue to eshew acrimony and disunity.
“Our mandate as a Commission is to develop within our capacity every community of the Niger Delta region. I want to equally thank the Emeyal Clan for the display of love, peace and cooperation among themselves and the communities of the clan”, he said.
The Tide learnt that the new Monarch’s coronation ceremony is coming after five years of interregnum upon the demise of the former substantive monarch of the kingdom, the late king George Adumein Lawson, which necessitated the appointment of an Acting monarch.
King Lawson, The Tide further gathered, died in 2021 and was interred months after.
Until his installation, the new substantive monarch was paramount ruler of Oruma (Yiba-Ama) Community, one of the twelve communities in the clan.
King Amakiri, who now goes by the appellation, Obanobhan 2nd of Emeyal Clan won a keenly contested election for the coveted stool in 2024, paving a way for his formal coronation and presentation of Staff of office by the Bayelsa State Government, last Saturday, at Emeyal Two Community, headquarters of the clan.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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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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