Niger Delta

Emu, Other Communities Join CBN’s Oil Palm Programme In Delta

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2023

Emu Kingdom in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, has joined other 67 communities in the State to enroll in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) oil palm plantation development initiative in the country.
The Secretary General, Delta State Commercial Oil Palm Plantation Growers Cooperative Society Limited (DELCOM COOP), Chief Felix Okonti, disclosed this when HRM, Johnson Ullu, EzeEmu of Emu Kingdom led his subjects to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the programme in Asaba.
According to Okonti, the MoU with Emu Kingdom brings the total number of participating communities to 68 across the state that have keyed into the CBN oil palm plantation programme in the country.
He said the communities would be allocating over 100,000 hectares of land for the programme which was a prerequisite of the CBN to enable each state harness the full potential of the programme.
He stated that the programme would be a win win for all participants, adding that the oil palm plantation ensures great returns on investment, particularly when the programme would be deploying the best and fast yielding varieties for cultivation.
Okonti noted that unlike the local variety of oil palm seedlings, 150 stands of improved seedlings per hectares has capacity to produce 48 tonnes to 60 tonnes of palm oil per hectare annually which guarantees great earnings after each harvest.
He said that every participating community or individual land owner, has three options; to sale the land, give it out on lease or participate in the venture and earn 22 per cent of the profit after tax as returns on investment annually.
According to Okonti, the programme is a partnership between the Delta State government (Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources), CBN, and Group of Investors.
“This is the first phase of the programme being anchored by the CBN and 14 states, including Delta that have been selected to benefit in this pilot stage.
”Also, each state is expected to provide 100, 000 hectares of land as the bank has earmarked N800 billion to finance the 1.4 million hectares.
“We missed the track during the advent of the crude oil money in the 70’s from being the leading producer of palm oil.
“But this MoU is looking back and if the country can actualise the target of cultivating 1.4 million hectares, Nigeria will regain its position as number one or at least number two in palm oil production in the world.
“It is regrettable that the CBN in 2018 budgeted about N500 billion to pay for products of oil palm produced imports, commodities that we have comparative advantage to produce in the country”, Okonti stated.
He further said of the total of about 76 million metric tonnes of worlds palm oil production, Malaysia produces about 37 per cent, while Nigeria produces only two per cent.
He thanked the monarch and people of Emu Kingdom for signing into the programme while encouraging individuals, groups and various communities to make lands available and key into the programme.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ben Agamah, lauded the Emu Kingdom for their collective decision to participate in the programme.
According to him, oil palm is an endowed crop and palm oil is twice as expensive in the international market than the crude oil.
He urges more participation in the state to harness the potentials of jobs creation, wealth and economic development of the state and the country at large.
On his part, HRM, Johnson Ullu, EzeEmu of Emu Kingdom, who spoke through a Palace Chief, Chief Godday Mgbaego, said they were keying into partnership to cultivate about 93 hectares of land in the Emu Kingdom.
He thanked the State Government for giving them opportunity to participate in the programme.
The Tide’s source reports that the MoU is between Emu Kingdom and Group of Oil Palm Plantation Development Investors, who are all members of DELCOM COOP, for the acquisition of 93.7 hectares of land for oil palm plantation development in Emu Kingdom under the CBN Oil Palm Development initiative.
HRM Ullu, led the signatories of the MoU for the community, while Secretary General, Okonti, signed for DELCOM COOP.

Niger Delta

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

Published

4 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

4 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

4 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.