While robotic surgery is advancing rapidly, experts warn that medicine cannot function without human judgement, accountability and ethical responsibility.
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The 2023 governorship candidate of Labour Party, LP, in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has clashed with the Lagos State government over the Social Health Insurance Scheme recently introduced in the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently signed an Executive Order establishing a mandatory Social Health Insurance Scheme for all residents of Lagos State, regardless of income level. According to the governor, the scheme will provide universal health coverage to Lagosians, ensuring access to quality healthcare services.
However, this move has sparked concerns among many Lagosians, who argue that the flat rate is unsustainable for low-income earners and would further exacerbate economic hardship. Others have also questioned the timing and prioritisation of the scheme, given the state’s existing healthcare infrastructure challenges.
It is against this backdrop that Rhodes-Vivour has spoken out against the scheme, proposing alternative solutions and calling for a more equitable and effective approach to universal health coverage in Lagos.
Reacting via his X handle, the LP candidate argued that the N15,000 annual contribution would exacerbate economic hardship for minimum wage earners, who would spend nearly 20 per cent of their income on the payment.
He proposed a proportional 5% contribution of monthly income instead, ensuring a fairer distribution of financial responsibility across income levels.
“This flat-rate approach reveals a fundamental disconnect from the economic realities facing most Lagosians. For minimum wage earners, this N15,000 contribution represents nearly 20% of their income—an unsustainable burden that will push many further into economic hardship,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
He also emphasised the need for substantial investment in healthcare infrastructure and personnel, citing a deficit of 30,000 doctors in Lagos State. “Before mandating and enforcing such an Executive Order, substantial investment in healthcare infrastructure and personnel is imperative. We must address the elephant in the room and resist the urge to place the cart before the horse,” Rhodes-Vivour stressed.
According to him, the Sanwo-Olu administration must adopt the 2014 Abuja Declaration, which recommends allocating 15 per cent of the state budget to healthcare. “In 2024, the Lagos State government fell short of this laudable vision by allocating only 6.75% of its budget to healthcare,” he noted.
In response, Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Sanwo-Olu, clarified that the N15,000 contribution is an annual premium, not a monthly payment.
“The social health insurance plan of Lagos State has an ANNUAL premium of N15,000 only per individual and NOT MONTHLY as stated by you,” Akosile said.
He explained that the scheme is mandatory for all Nigerians under the NHIA Act of 2022 and highlighted the state’s efforts to make healthcare more accessible.
According to him, the government has allocated an equity fund to cover vulnerable residents and has invested in healthcare infrastructure, including the construction of Mother and Child Care hospitals.
He also mentioned the establishment of a dedicated Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences to address the shortage of healthcare professionals, while emphasising that the scheme will “cover a wide scope of services, both primary and secondary, tailored to serve the health needs and address the disease burden of the state.”
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.
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:

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”.
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