Niger Delta
Bayelsa Housing Authority Partners Publishers … Promises Facelift For Yenagoa, LGA Hqrts
The Bayelsa State Housing and Property Development Authority (BSHPDA) has said it was recommited to developing the real estate sector of the state.
General Manager of the Authority, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah, stated this recently when the Chairman and members of the Bayelsa State Independent Publishers Association (BIPA) paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Yenagoa, the State capital.
Isenah said already plans were underway for the Authority to commence the construction of a 1000 housing units which would be shared amongst the eight Local Government Areas of the state, saying the project will begin in Ogbia Local Government and thereafter go on in others.
He noted that the reason for the 1000 housing unit in the local government areas was to create comfortable, affordable housing in those places, noting that another reason for taking that project to the Local Government headquarters was to deliberately develop other cities and towns within the state to curb the menace of royal-urban drift.
The Authority’s helmsman revealed that upon assumption of office the State Governor approved for the Authority the construction of about a hundred housing units at the Okaka Housing estate, saying the first 50 units have been completed and construction of others soon to start.
“Yes, I was appointed about six months ago, but those houses were actually built by the Authority in about three months.
“Upon my appointment, I discovered there were unused funds in the Authority’s purse, and so I approached the governor that he release it for us so that we can start-up something, and so he graciously released it to us, hence we commenced the building of the first 50units of the Housing estate at the old existing Okaka Housing estate.
“But that’s not all. The Governor has approved others for us. We’ve acquired 13 hectares of land at the gateway road, Igbogene in Yenagoa where we’ll be building another 1000 housing unit. Though we’ve not actually commenced that project, but plans have reached advanced stages”, he said.
The Authority’s boss promised to collaborate with the veteran publishers to educate and inform the public about activities of the agency, noting that the Media is a veritable tool for mutual partnership, hence he intends to work on a robust engagement with them.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of BIPA, Mr Francis Dufugha said the association opted to pay the BSHPDA helmsman the visit due to his outstanding performance just few months in the saddle.
Dufugha, who is the Publisher of Nigeria’s foremost regional tabloid, ‘Niger Delta Herald’, commended the Authority’s boss for his forthrightness and preparedness in executing the mandate of his office.
Similarly, the association has appealed to the Authority to facilitate the release of plots of land allocated members of the association during the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration.
The group noted that they have done all necessary documentations, yet the lands have not still been given to members of the association by successive administrations of the state.
“We came to felicitate with you on your achievements just six months in the office. In just six months in office, you’ve build about 50 units of housing estate at the Okaka Housing estate, and so we felt we should come for this visit and commend you on your stewardship of the BSHPDA”, the Association said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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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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