Niger Delta

Oil Wells: C’River Explains Rejection Of N250m Grant

Published

14 years ago

August 8, 2012

The Cross River Government, has given reasons for rejecting the N250 million which the Akwa Ibom Government offered as monthly grant for settlement for the loss of 76 oil wells.

The government said on Friday in Calabar that it was a degrading offer which portrayed the leadership of Cross River as opportunistic and irresponsible.

The government’s position the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Attah Ochinke at a press conference.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had in recent judgement ceded 76 oil wells which Cross River laid claims to Akwa Ibom.

In the aftermath of the judgment, Gov. Godswwill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom had offered to pay Cross River N250 million as grant to cushion the pains of the loss.

In his reaction, Ochinke said it was not correct to say that Cross River rejected overtures for amicable settlement with Akwa Ibom.

“Akwa Ibom government said we rejected an amicable settlement. That is not correct; we rather went to court to enforce the settlement that had already been reached.

“The matter had been settled and agreement written and it was implemented for three years, so what has happened for the parties to now withdraw from that agreement?

“The government of Akwa Ibom said they offered us when the matter was in court, N250 million a month as a peaceful settlement on the matter.

“I do not know when the matter will be settled but I am very certain of one thing, if we do not recover the territory it is not because it does not belong to us, but because we are unable to recover the territory.

“If we were just chancing, if we were just being opportunistic and say look let us try our luck may be we might get something out of it, we will probably accept anything that comes out of it including the offer from the government of Akwa Ibom.

“But you do not give up your legal right, give up your territory and make yourself an object of charity of another government.

“Akwa Ibom was virtually telling us: let us keep your oil wells, we will find you something. That is not what a responsible government will accept. That is why Akwa Ibom said that we rejected an amicably settlement.

“We already have settled the matter amicably, so if you want amicably settlement all you just needed to do is to respect the settlement that was already in place,’’ he said.

Ochinkesaid that the claims by Akwa Ibom that Cross River owed it more than N18 billion from the 76 oil wells was also baseless.

“Let me say this, at no time was Cross River receiving money from Akwa Ibom. At no time during this crisis was Akwa Ibom giving Cross River any money. Akwa Ibom has no money to collect from us.

“If they are so sure, let them be able to say this: how and where they gave Cross River money. And on the one hand they say they offered Cross River N250 million a month and we rejected it.

“And now they are turning round to say we owed them N18 billion; so at what time did they give us the money?

“Akwa Ibom is today an oil producing state because of the political solution, ordinarily Akwa Ibom is not an oil producing state, and they do not have a single oil well onshore.

“We also know that the Supreme Court in 2002 held that the offshore territory that is the territorial sea of Nigeria does not belong to the state,’’ Ochinke said.

He said that the territory of a state stops at the coast line of the state, adding that the sea belongs to the Federal Government as an incident of sovereignty.

Niger Delta

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

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.

Niger Delta

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

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

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.