News
Pope Francis Leaves Hospital After Hernia Operation
Published
11 months agoon
By
EditorPope Francis left hospital on Friday after undergoing a hernia operation and headed to the Vatican, where his health will be under increasing scrutiny ahead of a busy summer.
A smiling Francis left the Gemelli hospital in Rome at 8:45 am (0645 GMT) in a wheelchair, thanking the crowd of well-wishers outside.
The 86-year-old has suffered a series of health issues since his election in 2013, from hip problems, knee pain and weight gain to an inflamed colon and respiratory infection.
The Argentinian underwent a three-hour operation under general anaesthetic on June 7 to remove a painful hernia on the site of a scar from a previous surgery.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Orders Pope Benedict’s Dormer Aide To Leave Vatican
Pope Francis spends night in hospital after surgery
It was his third stay in hospital since 2021.
Doctors said he was cheerful on waking after last week’s operation, cracking jokes with the medical team, and the hospital has published regular updates since then detailing his steady recovery.
The Vatican cancelled papal audiences until June 18 to give the pontiff time to recover.
But Francis was quick to start working again from his suite in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, which is the favoured choice of pontiffs to the point of being dubbed “Vatican III” by John Paul II.
He had quipped that “Vatican number one” was St. Peter’s Square, Vatican number two was the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, and the Gemelli was number three.
Doctors said Thursday that Francis could go home on Friday morning. The pontiff spent his last day doing the rounds in a wheelchair and thanking the doctors and nurses who looked after him.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Spends Night In Hospital After Surgery
He also visited children in the paediatric oncology and child neurosurgery department, some of whom had sent him letters and drawings wishing him a speedy recovery, the Vatican said.
– Trips –
All eyes will be on Francis to see how he manages the return to a normal schedule once home.
His agenda is particularly busy over the coming months, with trips to Portugal and Mongolia in August.
The programme for his visit to Portugal from August 2 to 6 for World Youth Day in Lisbon is packed, with around 20 meetings and a number of events.
The head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, is regularly forced to reduce his schedule due to health problems.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Denies Resignation Rumours
In July 2021, he underwent surgery at the Gemelli for a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of small bulges or pockets that can develop in the lining of the intestine.
Francis was also hospitalised for three nights in March with a respiratory infection.
In recent months, rumours about his possible resignation have intensified.
He has repeatedly said he would consider stepping down if his health failed him, following the example of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
Francis acknowledged in July 2022 that he needed to slow down.
“At my age and with this limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church,” he said. “Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside.”
In March, however, he insisted that he had no current plans to quit.
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News
Residents Displaced As Rainstorms Wreck Havoc In Edo Community
Published
41 mins agoon
April 27, 2024By
EditorLampese community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State has been ravaged by rainstorms.
The incident was said to have occurred Friday as a result of a heavy downpour which affected many houses including the electricity transformer.
An eyewitness account described the incident as very unfortunate following the level of devastation.
Residents of the community have therefore called on the state and local governments and all concerned authorities to come to their rescue with a view to proffering urgent solutions and resettling displaced residents.
READ ALSO: PHOTOS: Properties Worth Millions Destroyed As Fire Razes Shops In Benin
Reacting to the situation, the local government council chairman, Tajudeen Suleman, who said he was far away in Enugu State for an official engagement, disclosed that he has mobilised the council officials to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment immediately he got the news, promising to visit victims as soon as he returns today.
He also said he was in touch with the state deputy governor, Marvellous Omobayo and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on moves to fast track the process of resettling affected persons.
News
Lawyer Drags NERC, AGF, Minister Of Power To Court Over Electricity Tariff Hike
Published
1 hour agoon
April 27, 2024By
EditorA Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Agi, has taken legal action against the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) for allegedly raising his electricity tariff by 230 per cent.
The case is currently being heard by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Agi is seeking the protection of his fundamental rights.
In his application, the senior lawyer asks the court to declare that the new tariffs and the hours of supply violate the Electricity Act of 2023 and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
The applications list NERC, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, and AEDC as the first to fourth respondents, respectively.
READ ALSO: Customer Drags NERC, AGF To Court Over Electricity Tariff Hike, Classification
In the attached affidavit submitted with the lawsuit, the attorney stated that he purchased 682kwh of utility from the AEDC on both March 23 and April 3, for a total of N50,000.
Furthermore, Agi declared that on April 6, he made another N50,000 utility purchase, but this time the value of the purchase was reduced to 206.7kwh.
He expressed his concern regarding this unexpected change but later discovered that the NERC and AEDC had implemented a system known as “bands” in the country. Under this system, NERC issued the April 2024 Supplementary Order to the Multi-Year Tariff Order 2024.
“That from the tariffs shared, the 1st and 4th respondents (NERC and AEDC) increased my tariffs by 230%, whereas others had theirs increased by 236%,177% and some others 0% in Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Electricity Workers Fault Tariff Hike, Threaten Strike
“The tariffs are discriminatory and the hours of supply are discriminatory between consumers and consumer categories and should be cancelled,” the SAN prayed the court.
Agi criticized the statement made by NERC’s chairman, Musiliu Oseni, on April 1st, where he stated that “only 15% of the electricity consumers in the country who consume 40% of the nation’s electricity are the ones affected.”
In Agi’s view, this directive creates a distinction between the 15% and the remaining 85% of consumers in Nigeria, which he considers discriminatory.
He argued that the use of US Dollars to determine tariffs in Nigeria is unnecessary and goes against public policy.
READ ALSO: Edo Guber: ‘Which Campaign Council’, Orbih Fumes, Rejects Inclusion
Consequently, the applicant requested “a declaration that the NERC Supplementary Order to the MYTO 2024 is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and a clear violation of the applicant’s right to freedom from discrimination as guaranteed under Section 116 (2) (e) of the Electricity Act, 2023, and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).”
He also stated that it violates the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1LEN 2004.
Agi also requested the court to declare that the use of the United States of American dollar exchange rate to determine the cost of tariffs in Nigeria is illegal, unconstitutional, and against public policy. Additionally, he sought an order to invalidate the NERC Supplementary Order to the MYTO 2024, as it is discriminatory and a clear violation of his right to freedom from discrimination as protected by the law.
However, no hearing date has been scheduled for this matter.
Recall that on April 3, NERC increased the electricity tariff for customers in the Band A category, who receive 20 hours of power supply daily, from N66/kWh to N225/kWh.
Panic gripped residents of Ita-Oshin area of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, when a gas tanker explosion left a trail of devastation, claiming four lives and about six vehicles were burnt.
It gathered that the explosion, occurred following an accident involving the gas tanker, when it was trying to manoeuvre along the road railings.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Four Feared Killed As Tanker Explosion Rocks Rivers
It was further gathered that emergency response teams, including personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Fire Service swiftly mobilized to the scene to evacuate the remains of the victims and contain the inferno.
Among the vehicles consumed by the inferno were taxis, a private car, and a truck, with the impact extending to nearby shops and houses.
While security and safety officials present at the scene are yet to provide a comprehensive statement regarding the incident, eyewitnesses, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said some casualties had already been rushed to the hospital by the response teams.
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