Niger Delta
Bayelsa, NEXIM Bank Mull Partnership On Exports Promotion
The Bayelsa State Government has indicated its preparedness to partner the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank in harnessing non-oil and gas resources in the state for export.
Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known weekend during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from NEXIM Bank, led by its South-South Regional Head, Mr. Soni Oseghale, in Government House, Yenagoa.
Expressing the belief that the objective of the bank was in line with the Assured Prosperity Agenda of the present administration, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, however, debunked the impression that Bayelsa was a mono-product state.
He emphasized that apart from oil and gas, the state is richly endowed with a wide range of natural resources, including fish and arable land capable of producing rice, oil palm, plantain and several other crops in commercial quantities.
The Deputy Governor, who noted that Bayelsa has comparative advantage in aquaculture and fisheries, urged the visiting team to undertake a tour to the state’s fish farm at the Yenegwe- Igbogene area, which has potential for producing enough fish to feed the state and for export.
While calling on the NEXIM Bank to bring in their wealth of experience and expertise to help the state maximally harness its natural resources for export, Senator Ewhrudjakpo assured them that the state investment team was prepared for all the necessary discussions and documentation to ensure the prompt take-off of the partnership deal.
“Your mission here is quite apt for us as a government, and your objective is also in line with that of our government of assured prosperity, especially in diversifying the economy.
“But, let me again correct the impression that Bayelsa produces oil and gas only. We are not a mono-product state, but Bayelsa is often short-changed in several ways.
“Look at the tax reforms now, what is there for Bayelsa? You are doing a tax reform for VAT and other things, but does oil not play a major part in VAT? There is VAT in the oil they are selling, but nobody is talking about it.
“We have products that we really would want you to encourage us to harness. If you have the time, I would like you to visit Yenegwe and see our fish farm there. In my opinion, that fish farm alone is enough for us to start from.
“That place was meant to export fish, a lot of resources have been committed to it. It has capacity of processing about 10 thousand dried fish in a single day. It has a feed mill, and everything you can think of. It is like the fish terminal at Tamale, in Ghana.
“We actually believe that aquaculture should be our best foot out. We have a comparative advantage in rice, oil palm, shrimps, and all those things you have mentioned. But let us look for the ones that would give us immediate success”, he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Regional Head of NEXIM Bank, South South, Mr. Soni Oseghale, said the team was in Bayelsa to collaborate with the State Government in identifying non-oil resources available in commercial quantity which could be exploited and harnessed for export.
Mr. Oseghale, who noted that each of the 36 states of the federation had resources that could be tapped to earn foreign exchange, however, stressed that no deliberate effort had been made to correct Nigeria’s foreign trade deficit because of the country’s over-dependence on oil and gas for export.
He said the bank would readily deploy its strategy working in close synergy with the technical team of the Bayelsa State government to fully explore identified areas of comparative advantage for export purposes.
Present at the courtesy visit were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mrs. Peremoboere Soroh, and the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Accounts, Revenue and Treasury, Mr. Timipre Seipulou
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Continue Reading
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.
-
Editorial1 day agoEnough Of Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians
-
Nation1 day agoRSU, Otonti Nduka Foundation Holds Centenary Conference, Unveil Book on Values in Nigeria
-
Oil & Energy1 day agoRivers PETROAN Elects 12-Member Executive
-
Politics2 days ago
APC Group Protests Ex–Presidential Aspirant’s Disqualification From Rivers Senatorial Race
-
Environment2 days agoMOSOP – Tinubu Not Sincere With Ogoni People For Oil Resumption
-
Politics2 days ago
Reps Speaker Secures APC Return Ticket For Fifth Term
-
Sports1 day agoOparaodu Urges Rivers United To Win Katsina United
-
News2 days agoFubara, Wife Hail Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative …As Over 6,800 Families Benefit From Largesse In Rivers