Niger Delta
LG Chairman visits Obololi Community, Laments Oil Spill Impact
Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State, Target Segibo, has bemoaned the adverse impact of an oil leak at Obololi axis in his domain.
Segibo, who said that the spill emanated from an oil asset operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), noted that the pollution was massive.
He expressed regret that SPDC has not been forthcoming in addressing challenges faced by its host communities in the area.
The Chairman addressed chiefs and people of the Community after an on-the -spot assessment of the oil spill from the company’s facility at Obololi,
Segibo expressed shock at the level of devastation on the Obololi Community, stating that the only source from which the people get water for drinking, cooking and washing has been heavily polluted.
He explained that the oil leakage, which occured last Sunday, was traced to rupture of the over-aged underwater pipeline laid in 1973.
The Chairman lamented neglect of the people by SPDC since the company laid its pipes and commenced operations there in 1973.
He noted that the people of Obololi have been exposed to environmental degradation, economic hardship, several health problems, including cholera, loss of biodiversity, soil and water contamination, air pollution, reduced tourism, displaced residents.
Segibo said Southern Ijaw LGA will urgently provide alternative water supply to the area to assuage their plights.
He called on the people of Obololi to avoid drinking and cooking with water fetched from the creek there to avoid water-borne diseases.
The chairman urged the people, particularly the adults, to sensitize the youths to heed to the caution to save lives.
In his response, Deputy Paramount Ruler of Obololi, His Highness Wilfred Kueke, intimated the Council Chairman on the age-long devastations the community has suffered since SPDC started its operations there in 1973.
The Community leader decried the refusal of SPDC and its contractors to provide social amenities in the community, including healthcare services, water as well as Community-Company relationship.
Also speaking, a representative of the women, Ebiware Ikuromo, while narrating her deep feelings, lamented the loss of aquatic life and what she describe as the recalcitrant attitude of SPDC concerning its relationship with the host community.
She noted that several people, particularly children who had been infested with ailments through drinking from the contaminated creek since there was no alternative, were on admission in various health facilities outside Obololi.
The people called on the State Governor, Douye Diri, and Segibo, to swing into actions by sending health personnel, drugs, relief materials and water to reduce their hardship.
A spokesman for SPDC, who pleaded anonymity when contacted for a response on the reported leak and pollution incident, promised to revert soon but was yet to do so at the time of filing this report.
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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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