The government of Japan has extended a funding assistance of 1 billion Japanese Yen (approximately USD$9.4m) to Nigeria for the provision of medical equipment.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba and Japan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, Mr Kikuta Yutaka, have signed and exchanged notes in Abuja in respect of the grant.

Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, Sufuyan Ojeifo, quoted both Minister Agba and Ambassador Yutaka to have said in their notes that the medical equipment funding project would contribute to strengthening the medical system in Nigeria through the provision of ambulances and Computerized Tomography (CT) scanners.

He further quoted them to have said that the bilateral cooperation “is part of Japan’s contribution to the expansion of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the promotion of Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative, which Japan expressed during Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7).”

TICAD7 held from 28th-30th August, 2019 at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama city, Japan, with more than 10,000 people, including 42 African leaders from 53 countries, 52 development partner countries, 108 heads of international and regional organisations, and representatives of civil society and the private sector in attendance.

The government of Japan has led this conference since 1993, co-hosted by the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC).

Ambassador Yutaka said that Japan remained committed to supporting developing countries’ effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which, according to him, had posed a serious threat to human security globally.

He also stated that Japan remained focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), including the universal health coverage (theconclaveng)

A Japanese man, dubbed the “Twitter killer” after he lured suicidal social media users to their death, admitted in court on Wednesday, September 30, to killing nine people, local media said.

Takahiro Shiraishi, 29, is also accused of dismembering his victims and storing body parts in coolboxes, did not contest nine counts of murder, saying they “are all correct”, public broadcaster NHK reported.

But lawyers for Takahiro Shiraishi argued the charges should be reduced because the victims – who had expressed suicidal thoughts – wanted him to kill them.

He is accused of using Twitter to contact victims aged between 15 and 26 who talked online about committing suicide, telling them he could help them in their plans – or even die alongside them.

His lawyers want the charges against him reduced to “murder with consent”, which carries a prison sentence of between six months and seven years.

He is also facing rape charges, according to media reports. 

Shiraishi was detained three years ago by police investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had reportedly tweeted about wanting to take her own life.

After she went missing, her brother apparently gained access to her Twitter account and noticed a suspicious handle.

The profile read: “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM me anytime.”

In a post made on October 21, Shiraishi wrote: “Bullying is everywhere, in school and at work.

“There must be many people in society who are suffering after attempting suicides, though their cases are not reported in the news. I want to help such people.”

If convicted of murder Shiraishi faces the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Japan.  

Reports in 2017 – including NHK public television – said his first victim was a woman whom he got in touch with via Twitter, offering to assist her suicide wish, then killing her boyfriend to silence him.

They said Shiraishi used similar tactics to kill seven other women. 

The reports explained that one of the women contacted Shiraishi via Twitter in late September, seeking a partner for a suicide pact and saying she was afraid to die alone.

The woman’s brother reported her disappearance to police the next day.

When he sought information about his sister’s disappearance on Twitter, an unidentified woman replied that she had met Shiraishi and agreed to cooperate with police by setting up a fake appointment.

Two investigators then followed Shiraishi back to his apartment and knocked on the door, public broadcaster NHK said.

When they asked him if he knew where the missing woman was, Shiraishi pointed to one of eight coolers, saying “She is in here”, NHK said, quoting investigative sources.

Japan has the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven industrialised nations, with more than 20,000 people taking their lives annually. While the suicide rate has been falling since it peaked in 2003, it remains particularly high among young adults and schoolchildren.

lindaikejisblog

Nigerians have expressed their displeasure with a part of the President’s speech marking the country’s 60th Independence anniversary.

In his Independence Day speech, President Muhammadu Buhari addressed a number of topics, including thanking Nigerians for entrusting him with hopes for a better country. He also reiterated his commitment to the service of Nigeria.

However, a part of his speech caught people’s attention and led to criticisms.

The part reads: “Democracy, the world over and as I am pursuing in Nigeria, recognizes the power of the people. However, if some constituencies choose to bargain off their power, they should be prepared for denial of their rights.”

Nigerians opined that the president’s statement was inappropriate. Some asked what constituencies he was referring to.

Read some Twitter reactions below.

Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor who moderated Tuesday’s Presidential debate between US president Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, is now blaming Trump for sending the political showdown into chaos after the debate was hugely criticized for being messy and divisive.

Almost immediately after the debate started on Tuesday night, September 29, Wallace lost control of the debate and was never able to regain order as Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and declined to obey the rules of the forum.

Trump even spoke over Wallace, telling the Fox News anchor, “I guess I’m debating you, not him, but that’s OK. I’m not surprised.”

Wallace, previously said in a Wednesday interview with The New York Times, that he wouldn’t blame Trump for the nature of the debates, but in a new interview on Thursday night, he told Bill Hemmer that he believes Trump “bears the primary responsibility for what happened.”

“I had baked this beautiful, delicious cake and then frankly the President put his foot in it,” Wallace said.

“That was frustrating,” Wallace added. “It was frustrating for me because I tried hard to prepare for a serious debate, much more frustrating and more importantly for the American people because they didn’t get the debate they wanted that they deserved.”

Wallace, who said that he wished he had stepped in more seriously sooner, went on to describe the missed opportunity as “a loss for the country.”

Asked by Hemmer if he had rewatched the debate, Wallace replied, “Oh, God no. Oh, God no. It wasn’t something that I want to revisit.”

“Look, it took me 4 years to re-watch the Trump-Clinton debate from 2016, which I very much enjoyed, and it still took me 4 years to look,” Wallace explained.

“This is going to take a while before I watch this one again.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates said it was mulling structural changes to the remaining debates after Tuesday’s debate.

When asked if giving the moderator the ability to cut off a candidate’s microphone is on the table, a representative of the presidential debates commission said it was “considering everything.”

Wallace, however, doesn’t support the idea.

“That’s a pretty tough spot to put any moderator in,” Wallace said.

At one point in the debate, Wallace asked Trump to obey the rules.

“I think that the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions,” Wallace said. 

“I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.”

“Well, and him too!” Trump quipped back, referring to Biden.

“Well, frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting than he has,” Wallace countered.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s comparison between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in his Independence Day address.

In his Independence Day Speech on Thursday October 1, President Buhari compared the oil price in Nigeria to those of neighbouring countries and even Saudi Arabia, arguing that it makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than it is in other oil-producing nations.

Buhari said, “Petroleum prices in Nigeria are to be adjusted. We sell now at N161 per litre.

“A comparison with our neighbours will illustrate the point. Chad which is an oil-producing country charges N362 per litre. Niger, also an oil-producing country sells 1 litre at N346.”

“In Ghana, another oil-producing country, the petroleum pump price is N326 per litre.”
Egypt charges N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre.”

“It makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia”. 

The President of the TUC, Quadri Olaleye, has now criticized Buhari for his comments, saying Nigeria should not be compared with other countries as the country had achieved nothing despite six decades of oil exploration.

He alleged that successive governments had looted, laundered and wasted the country’s resources while patronising hospitals outside the country.

Olaleye said, “It is like comparing black and white. It is that bad!

“It is ridiculous to compare Nigeria with Saudi, Dubai, or any other country, not even in Africa. With the natural resources that we have, we could rule the world, but government is not interested. There is no need for this comparison because it looks like the president is defending fraud and the impoverishment of Nigerians.

“Come to think of it, what has Nigeria achieved with all the money made from oil since over six decades of oil exploration in commercial quality? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All successive leaderships have done is loot, launder and buy properties in foreign land.

“So, if the president is defending the hike (in pump price), what does he want to do with the surplus they will make from the hike? The same old story of providing infrastructure! Our roads are nothing but death traps. Our leaders are not patriotic at all.”

“In Saudi Arabia, roads, water, and to some extent, jobs were not big issues.

“On the other hand, Nigerians contend with estimated bills because power firms had refused to provide meters,” Olaleye added.

#Trumphascovid is the number one trending topic on Twitter this morning after US President, Donald Trump confirmed today, Friday, October 2, that he has tested positive for Coronavirus, lighting up the social media space.

Trump, who never liked the idea of wearing masks in public, saying it made him look weak, contracted the virus after his close aid Hope Hicks tested positive on Thursday October 1.

As expected, many have been sending their prayers and wishing The President quick recovery but some are of the opinion that President Trump would not have been sympathetic if it was his opponent, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama that was infected.

According to Twitter user, @OgbeniDipo, Trump would have mocked Biden, Clinton or Obama if they were the ones infected.

See more social media reactions below.

While #TrumpHasCovid and is in recovery we must continue to hold him accountable for his cruelty and sociopathy which needlessly led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. pic.twitter.com/2hCT3vURDx

— Brett Meiselas (@BMeiselas) October 2, 2020

A nursing mother and her baby have allegedly been detained in a hospital for 7 months since she gave birth, due to her inability to pay her hospital bills.

Blessing Bassey, 27, was rushed to Mojol Hospital, Church Street, in Shasha, Egbeda, Lagos in March.

She had lost consciousness on March 6 while she was 7 months pregnant and was taken to the hospital where she registered for antenatal care. However, due to lack of adequate equipment, she was transferred to Mojol Hospital.

She was operated on and delivered safely but when she was unable to pay her bills, she was detained. She was also asked to vacate the bed in the hospital for other patients. Blessing and her baby have been sleeping on the floor of one of the wards of Mojol Hospital for months.

It is alleged that Blessing, a hairdresser, had pleaded with the hospital management to allow her leave the hospital and return to work so she can earn enough to pay back but they refused.

She is also allegedly not allowed to leave the hospital premises to buy anything for herself and the baby except one of the nurses helps her out.

Mrs Esther Ogwu, founder of Esther Child Rights Foundation, reported the case on Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons’ platform. 

She explained that Blessing gave birth in March through Caesarean section at Mojo hospital at Egbeda shasha in Lagos. She was charged N350,000 Naira and later the medical director reduced it to N250,000.

She was able to pay N160,000 but still owes N90,000, Mrs Ogeu said. As a result, the hospital allegedly refused to discharge her until she pays what she owes.

Mrs Ogwu said after the case was reported to Esther Child Rights Foundation, the foundation reported to the Afonka Police station and they assigned an officer to the case but there has not been any positive result since then.

From the hospital, Blessing, from Cross River State, called out to Nigerians for help. She said efforts by her husband – a mechanic – to raise the money had been futile.

A spokesperson for the hospital said they have been unwilling to release Blessing due to past experiences with other patients. The spokesperson said patients owing the hospital money beg to be released with a promise to pay later, but they never show up again.