Niger Delta

2023: Obi Faults FG’s Floods Mitigation In Bayelsa

Published

4 years ago

October 23, 2022

Erstwhile Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has expressed surprise that the Federal Government had yet to respond three weeks after a massive flooding hit Bayelsa State.
He said flying into the state in a chopper gave him a better aerial view of the situation and that the state needs urgent help.
Obi spoke at the weekend in Yenagoa, the state capital, when he paid a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, at the Government House before they visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion camp in Yenagoa.
The Labour Party’s Presidential hopeful lamented the hardship experienced by people of the state as a result of the floods and expressed wonder why the Federal Government had not sent a high-powered delegation to the state with a view to providing assistance for the people.
While calling on the Federal Government to declare an emergency over the flooding in parts of Nigeria with Bayelsa as a case in point, he said as a state that is strategic to the economy of Nigeria, it deserved more from the centre.
He also called on the international community, donor agencies and public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist the government navigate through what he called “this difficult moment”.
Obi lauded Governor Diri’s handling of the situation so far, urging him not to give up, promising to stand with the people in their trying moments.
He noted that he decided to suspend his campaign to sympathize with the people of Bayelsa and other states affected and promised not to resume campaigns until this phase of flooding was over.
Obi further noted that though while in office he experienced the 2012 floods, the current one was more devastating.
”There is no way anyone will be happy with the situation in Bayelsa. My appeal is for the Federal Government to send a strong team to come see what is happening here.
“I was a Governor in 2012, but I did not see what I have seen today. The Federal Government needs to declare an emergency in Bayelsa considering the strategic importance of the State to Nigeria.
“I appeal also to the international community and donor agencies too to help. Bayelsa needs urgent support. What I have seen here is unimaginable. The Federal Government needs to intervene immediately”, he said.
Responding, Governor Douye Diri expressed appreciation to Obi for his show of love to the people of the state, saying he feels comforted by his visit, which was the first by any high profile individual.
Diri lamented the impact of the flood, which he said has claimed lives, property and destroying the economy of the state.
The Bayelsa Governor acknowledged the concern showed by President Muhammadu Buhari by directing federal rescue and disaster management agencies to assist the state, noting however that the directive was yet to be adhered to.
The state’s helmsman assured people of the state that his administration will continue to stand with them and spare no effort in providing relief to victims of the flood, saying that his government was already thinking about the post-flood challenges, especially with the destruction to critical infrastructure in the state.
“I feel comforted this morning, like one who has a friend and brother. At your level, you are the first to visit Bayelsa State.This flood has been with us for three weeks and we are losing lives and property on daily basis.
“Our economy is as good as gone. We have been trapped with the East-West road broken into two on both sides.
“Yes, we have received some hope from Mr. President but we are yet to see one senior government official like you that came to empathize with us. We still call on the Federal Government to do the needful. I have also written to all relevant bodies to come to our aid.
“As you rightly observed, this is beyond what a state can handle. On behalf of a grateful state, we thank you for coming. If half of the resources taken away from Bayelsa are put in this state we will not be crying for help”, he said.
At the Oxbow Lake IDP camp, Obi pledged an undisclosed amount, while Governor Diri led other top government officials to other camps at the Universal Primary Education (UPE) School, Ovom, and the Saint Peters Church, Yenagoa, where he assured of government’s continuous support and donated the sum of one million naira each to the victims.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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.