Niger Delta

Furore Over Impeachment Of Edo Dep Speaker

Published

12 years ago

July 7, 2014

The All Progressives Con
gress (APC) in Edo State, last Thursday, said the impeachment of the suspended Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Festus Ebea, was an internal affair of the House which it said followed due process.
The party was reacting to the press conference by the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, who said that the APC lawmakers do not have the required two-third to impeach the Ebea just as he alleged that the impeachment was done in Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s bed room.
The state chairman of the APC, Mr Anslem Ojezua, asserted that, “what Orbih is seeing now is the result of the mischief that he masterminded together with his associates. They succeeded in misleading their members to plan a botched coup and the consequences of that mischievous action is the removal of the Deputy Speaker.
The opposition ignorantly made noise about the number of Assembly members that can remove the Deputy Speaker from office by claiming that the House did not meet the two-third requirement to so remove Hon. Festus Ebea as Deputy Speaker.
According to him, the notice of impeachment of Hon. Festus Ebea was signed by 16 members of the House. This clearly was more than the 13 signatures required to impeach him. It must be borne in mind that with the suspension of 4 members, only 20 members are, for now, legitimately entitled to attend and participate in any legislative business of the House of Assembly.
He said, “Two-thirds of 20 members cannot by any stretch of imagination be anything above 13. We state for the records that impeachment of an officer is an internal affair of the State House of Assembly following its rules. In the instant case, the House has complied with its extant rules. ”We also find it laughable that the impeached Deputy Speaker, Hon Festus Ebea, said the sitting of the lawmakers was held in the Governor’s Office. We are embarrassed that the Deputy Speaker has no sense of history and is so ignorant as to know that the sittings of the House of Assembly used to hold in the Government House before the new complex at the Airport Road was erected.
“For the information of the impeached Deputy Speaker and that of the unsuspecting members of the public, the old chambers of the Edo State House of Assembly is within the precinct of the Government House and the Old Assembly building is still a property of the Assembly which is there for them to use whenever they feel the need to do so”, he added.
Ojezua further stated that “the reason for the House going to sit in an alternative location was duly articulated in the motion read by the Majority leader, Philip Shaibu that the new Assembly chambers was undergoing renovation works. For Orbih to threaten that they are going to break into the chambers on Monday, even with the four suspended members tells you they want to perpetuate cause the House was held hostage by eight members against 16. The hostage situation has been deflated and Edo people are happy that the House is now sitting and they are doing their legislative works. So we are appealing to our friends in PDP to have respect for the judiciary by allowing the judicial process to play out” he stated.

Niger Delta

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

Published

19 hours 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

19 hours 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

19 hours 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.