Niger Delta
Group Urges Tinubu To Decentralise Pipeline Surveillance Contracts
A sociocultural group, the Southern Ijaw Unity Forum, has called on the Federal Government not to re-award pipeline surveillance contracts to the current beneficiaries whose contracts have expired, but rather decentralize it across board for all major stakeholders in the Niger Delta struggle.
The group said this is because Nigeria is not making any progress in the fight against oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining of petroleum products.
A statement issued to newsmen by the group’s Chairman, Comrade Timothy Amadiowei, said the failure was due to the federal government’s refusal to heed wise counsel from the beginning.
He said the federal government’s failure to take constructive advise from other major stakeholders in the Niger Delta region resulted in oil theft under the guise of surveillance activities which is now brewing crisis in the region and loss of innocent lives in illegal detentions.
The group’s leader also alleged that the activities of the surveillance contractors and the federal government’s non-consultation with other major stakeholders across the region, which has since caused related crises, are acts capable of smearing the image of the Nigerian government at the international level.
The Statement read in parts: “Muhammadu Buhari-led government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were made to believe the illusion that one man is king of the Niger Delta and that awarding the pipeline surveillance contract to him would automatically end the war against oil theft.
“This fairytale is what made the Federal Government to neglect the expertise of other renowned freedom fighters in the Niger Delta, and awarded the contract to one man alone to secure pipelines in the territories of other ex-agitators who have paid their dues and worked so hard to ensure peace and political stability in the region but were later pushed aside.
“I want to remind the nation that it is not only the current beneficiaries that worked for the APC government, and it is very unfair that after major stakeholders like Alhaji Asari Dokubo and Endurance Amagbein have worked so hard for the APC government, they are neglected and what should have been shared evenly amongst the ex-militants for equity and fairness was given to one man who has refused to carry people along”.
According to him, the Federal Government is winning the fight against oil theft only on the news, but in reality, the illegal business is thriving daily – with most filling stations selling only adulterated fuel.
He urged President Bola Tinubu, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr. Bashir Ojulari, and the National Security Adviser, Nihu Ribadu, to take the bold step in correcting the errors made by the past administration, and yield to the demand of the Niger Delta people that the pipeline surveillance contracts be decentralized and shared to all deserving stakeholders.
“I urge the Federal Government not to engage in shadowboxing when help is available. The only solution to oil theft and illegal refining of petroleum products is decentralization, because nobody is happy with the anomalies on ground.
“Every stakeholder is angry with the current arrangement, how can one man from Delta State whose kingdom comprises only 8 communities be awarded a surveillance contract to secure pipelines in the territories of other stakeholders as in the case with Bayelsa State?
“Carry everybody along, and you’ll see the difference, and I can tell you boldly that there are renowned ex-agitators who have the answers the government is seeking, but they are just watching the Federal Government struggle because the government has failed to approach them for help.
“If you think you’ve seen pipeline security, then wait until the likes of Alhaji Asari Dokubo, King Ateke Tom and Endurance Amagbein, who understand the Niger Delta terrain more than anybody else, come into the picture with what they have to offer.
“And so we are joining the host of other Niger Delta stakeholders who have seen that the only way to win this fight is decentralization and bringing everyone onboard.
“Let everybody secure their own domains, because if anybody is doing illegal bunkering in my community, I know them and I know how to deal with them, but a stranger does not know them and so it’s difficult to stop them.
“If you are from Delta State, stay in Delta and secure the pipelines in your area, if you are from Rivers State, stay in Rivers and secure pipelines there, if you are from Bayelsa, stay there and secure pipelines there, likewise the other states producing crude oil and gas.
“This is not the time to re-award all the pipeline surveillance jobs in the entire Niger Delta to one man. This is the time to share it among the major stakeholders so that they can cover the whole area to put an end to oil theft”, the group’s leader added.
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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