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NMA demands utilisation of abandoned health facilities in Rivers

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The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has expressed frustration over the continued non-operation of the Mother and Child Hospital and the Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Centre in Port Harcourt, despite both facilities having been fully built and commissioned for over three years.

The Mother and Child Hospital was commissioned in June 2021, while the Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Centre was commissioned in November 2022. However, neither facility has ever been put to use and both remain sealed, attracting public criticism.

Despite repeated inquiries during the last administration, the Rivers State Government failed to give credible reasons for their closure. Stakeholders in the health sector have also largely avoided addressing the prolonged inactivity of these institutions.

Following their commissioning by former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the facilities remain sealed and deserted, with no staff on site.

At a press briefing on Monday to mark the opening of the association’s 2025 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, Rivers State NMA Chairman, Dr Diamond Tamunokuro, called on the state government to immediately operationalise both centres.

Dr Tamunokuro stressed that the world-class facilities “continue to be a symbol of waste and a reminder of our collective systemic inefficiency if not put to use.”

He added: “It is regrettably and shameful that young doctors in this state who desire to work cannot find a place to work in the state civil service despite the presence of public health facilities fully constructed and fully equipped.”

He lamented that potential employment opportunities, essential medical services, internally generated revenue, and training spaces for health professionals remain unrealised because of the continued closure of these facilities. He urged the people of Rivers State to “continue to question the closure of these two facilities until they open to use,” adding, “the best time to have acted was yesterday, the next best time is now.”

In 2024, during the Rivers State Economic and Investment Summit, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara declined to comment on the facilities when questioned about their closure. That same year, suspended Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, explained that the intended private investors had pulled out, citing inflation, which stalled the utilisation of the facilities.

According to Dr Oreh, the government had planned to run both facilities under a public-private partnership, with a take-off grant provided to the operators.

She said: “From the timeline, they were supposed to have started seeing patients, opening its doors fully in November, 2023. We were hopeful that by November last year, they would have opened the door fully, and people will walk in and access services.”

She revealed that the private operators had only managed a soft opening before shutting operations, blaming funding constraints. The state government, she added, was actively working to terminate the contract and explore alternative management options.

Since then, no tangible progress has been made.

While welcoming the recent employment of doctors and other health workers at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the State Hospital Management Board, the NMA stressed that an expanded health workforce was still urgently required, particularly “at the Primary Health Care Management Board to strengthen primary health care which constitute more than 70 per cent of all health care needs in the state.”

Dr Tamunokuro also urged the government to revisit the stalled recruitment process for doctors and other personnel in the Primary Health Care Management Board, stressing that “quality health care is a reflection of good health financing and comprehensive health insurance.”

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Beatrice Ekweremadu Returns To Nigeria After UK Prison Release

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Wife of former Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu returns home following custodial sentence, while her husband remains imprisoned in UK.

The wife of former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Beatrice, has returned to Nigeria after being released from a prison in the United Kingdom.

Her arrival in the country on Tuesday, January 21, 2026, followed the completion of the custodial portion of her sentence for her role in a high-profile organ-harvesting conspiracy.

Mrs Ekweremadu was received by family members and close associates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, marking her first time on Nigerian soil since the legal saga began in mid-2022.

While her return has sparked celebrations in her hometown of Mpu, in the Aninri Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State, it came amid the continued incarceration of her husband in London.

The return of the former Deputy Senate President’s wife followed her May 2023 conviction by the Old Bailey in London.

She was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for conspiring to facilitate the travel of a 21-year-old Lagos Street trader to the UK for the purpose of harvesting his kidney.

The organ was intended for the couple’s daughter, Sonia, who suffered from a chronic kidney condition.

The case, which was prosecuted under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, marked the first time the legislation was used in a human organ-harvesting prosecution.

Under UK law, non-violent offenders are typically eligible for release on license after serving half of their custodial term.

Reports indicated that Mrs. Ekweremadu’s release was further facilitated by her good conduct record and by a broader UK government initiative to address severe prison overcrowding.

Despite his wife’s return, Senator Ekweremadu remains in a UK correctional facility serving a significantly longer sentence.

In May 2023, the former lawmaker was handed a nine-year and eight-month term, as the court deemed him the primary driver of the conspiracy.

Efforts by the Nigerian federal government to secure his release or repatriation have so far been unsuccessful.

In late 2025, a high-powered diplomatic delegation visited London to explore a Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) that would allow the Senator to serve the remainder of his term in a Nigerian facility.

However, the UK Home Office reportedly rejected the proposal in November 2025, citing concerns over the guarantee of the sentence’s continued enforcement if transferred to the Nigerian jurisdiction.

The third convict in the case, Dr. Obinna Obeta, who was described by the prosecution as the medical “middleman,” continues to serve a 10-year prison sentence in the UK.

Meanwhile, the couple’s daughter, Sonia, who was cleared of all criminal charges during the 2023 trial, remains in the United Kingdom, where she is reportedly receiving ongoing medical treatment for her condition.

 

 

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Elon Musk Claims Going To Medical School Is Now Pointless Because Robots Will Replace Human Surgeons By 2030 (Video)

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Elon Musk has asserted that medical degrees may soon become obsolete, as AI-powered robots are expected to surpass human surgeons in performance.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO claimed that humanoid robots like Tesla’s Optimus will outperform the world’s best surgeons within three years.

Speaking on the Moonshots podcast hosted by Peter Diamandis, Musk argued that human doctors are slow to train, prone to error, and fundamentally limited.

“Right now there’s a shortage of doctors and great surgeons,” Musk said.

“[It takes] a super long time to learn how to be a good doctor Doctors have limited time, they make mistakes. How many great surgeons are there? Not that many,” he added.

“So don’t go to medical school?” Diamandis asked Musk.

While robotic surgery is advancing rapidly, experts warn that medicine cannot function without human judgement, accountability and ethical responsibility.

Watch video below:

Stop Calling Me ‘Bro’ or ‘Blood’ – 22-Year-Old Ondo Monarch Issues Warning To The Public

 

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Anu’s Mother Shares Alleged DNA Test Result Amid Partenity Dispute With Davido

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In a recent development, the ongoing controversy surrounding Ayo Labinjoh, the mother of Anu and Afrobeats superstar, Davido, over partenity dispute has intensified.

‎It’s worth noting that Ayo Labinjoh and Davido have been in the headlines over paternity dispute, with the singer claiming five DNA tests yielded negative results

In a fresh Instagram post, Ayo shared an existing DNA test result contradicting Davido’s earlier claim.

She emphasized that the DNA test result was valid, while investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo has fought vigorously for her daughter.

Her post reads,“The ONLY DNA 🧬 TEST Fake‼️ No swab, just bl00d 🩸 Not 2, Not 5.We still haven’t seen David post today online and in newspapers”.

Meanwhile, Davido has revealed that his father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, played a significant role amid his paternity dispute with Ayo Labinjoh.

In a recent tweet on X (formely Twitter), the ‘Feel’ crooner shared that his father insisted that he undergo DNA test.

“You guys don’t know my father..He’s even the one that forced me to go. Adeleke’s we don’t play about Blood on this side”, The tweet reads.

Meanwhile, Cubana Chief Priest’s alleged baby mama, Helen Atti, has weighed in on Davido’s paternity dispute.

She took to the singer’s comment section, writing, “Please just help her, you can still adopt her, it doesn’t mean anything. I know you love children a lot, not like Pascal Okechukwu, big belle for no reason”.

See below…..

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