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Niger Delta

UNOC 2025: Diri Canvases Synergy To Protect Oceanic Communities

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12 months ago

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Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called for collaboration among global, national and sub-national stakeholders in order to save communities ravaged by ocean surge and coastal erosion.
Describing is as a collaborative governance model, he said it will avert the threats from ocean rise to communities in the State and the Niger Delta region.
The Governor, who spoke last Saturday at the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Summit preceding the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, from June 9-13, said he was at the conference, co-hosted by the governments of France and Costa Rica, in furtherance of his administration’s commitment to bring to global attention the environmental challenges of his region, particularly Bayelsa State.
In his presentation during the panel session themed, “Multi-Level Governance of Coastal Cities and Regions”, Governor Diri emphasised the primacy of collaboration among stakeholders if the challenges of global warming, climate change and ocean rise would be adequately addressed.
He said Bayelsa communities face an ever-present threat from rising sea levels and coastal erosion as a result of its geographical location.
Diri stated that his administration has initiated innovative policies to address some of the issues, including creating a Ministry.
“As a coastal State, Bayelsa lies below the sea level and consequently faces the risks associated with ocean rise. About 70 per cent of its land area is occupied by rivers and it borders the Atlantic Ocean on its three Senatorial flanks.
“Bayelsa is the first and the only sub-national in Nigeria to create a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in 2024 after President Bola Tinubu’s pioneering initiative in 2023. We have done a lot of policy innovation in the state in line with what the federal ministry has done.
“We are equally promoting mangrove restoration as a state with a lot of mangroves, rivers and rivulets. As a state bordering the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Guinea, Bayelsa communities face the threat of ocean rise and are either being destroyed or at the verge of being wiped out.
“I believe this is not the time to be looking at competitiveness but rather on some form of multi-governmental approach to address this challenge. This approach should look at collaborative and synergistic governance at the national, sub-national and international levels with all the stakeholders involved”, he said.
The Bayelsa helmsman also advocated for global funding support for affected states and communities.
“We are very glad to be part of this process, which, if well coordinated, would lead to sub-nationals like mine having access to climate funds and other supports. So, we believe that there has to be more of collaborative governance among stakeholders than the competitiveness we see”, he added.
The well-attended summit, which had in attendance a former United States Secretary of State and Special Envoy on Climate, Mr. John Kerry, attracted other global stakeholders, scientists and policymakers in a bid to address the challenges of rising sea levels, coastal erosion, climate adaptation and sustainable development.
Also present at the session were the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, and delegates from Lagos and Cross River states.
The Bayelsa Governor was accompanied by Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, and the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Faith Zibs-Godwin.
Others were a director in the ministry, Mr. Wakedei Ere, and the Technical Adviser on International Development and Liaison, Mrs. Funkazi Koroye-Crooks.

 

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa

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Niger Delta

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

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1 week ago

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May 18, 2026

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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.
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Niger Delta

Police Burst Child Trafficking Syndicate In A’Ibom … Nab 3 Suspects

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1 week ago

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May 18, 2026

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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.
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Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers 

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1 week ago

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May 18, 2026

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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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