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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Dies At Age 95

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Pope Benedict XVI, who served as leader of the Catholic church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013, has died aged 95, the Vatican has announced.

A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said: “With sorrow, I inform you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away today at 9.34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”

His death comes after Pope Francis announced during his weekly audience on 28 December that Benedict was “very sick”.

Benedict’s death brings to a close an unprecedented period in recent history where two popes have co-existed, a situation that has caused tensions within rival camps in the Vatican. It paves the way for his successor, Pope Francis, to consider whether to follow Benedict by retiring at some point – impossible while the outcome would have been three popes.

Benedict, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, was a deeply conservative pontiff, whose tenure was overshadowed by sex abuse scandals in the church. He retired leaving a chequered reputation after a papacy that was at times divisive.

The results of a German investigation published in January 2022 said Benedict had failed to act against four priests accused of child sexual abuse when he was archbishop of Munich.

The son of a policeman, he grew up in rural Bavaria and at the age of 14 joined the Hitler Youth, a requirement, and served in the German army in the second world war. Towards the end of the war he deserted, and was briefly held as a prisoner of war by American forces.

He later became a major figure in the Vatican and, as Cardinal Ratzinger, served as a right-hand man to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. He headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Vatican department once known as the Inquisition, for 24 years, a position that earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler”.

During his tenure, allegations of clerical sexual abuse and its cover-up began to surface. His critics said he failed to grasp the gravity of the crimes and the scale of the crisis, which reached a peak several years after he was elected pope in April 2005.

As well as the flood of allegations, lawsuits and official reports relating to sexual abuse and the priests’ complicity in covering it up, the Vatican was also rocked by the theft of confidential documents, many of which later appeared in an exposé of alleged corruption. In October 2012, a Vatican court convicted the pope’s personal butler, Paolo Gabriele, of stealing the papers. He told the trial he had been acting against “evil and corruption”.

Benedict was a theological conservative, holding uncompromising positions on homosexuality and contraception. He had strongly opposed liberation theology, a radical movement that began in South American in the 1960s and advocated clerical social activism among the poor and marginalised.

His sudden resignation, at the age of 85, in February 2013, the first pope to do so since the middle ages, left the church reeling. He said at the time that he did not have the strength to carry on as leader of the world’s estimated 1.2 billion Catholics. “I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me,” he said.

He took the title of Pope Emeritus, and pledged to remain “hidden to the world”, devoting himself to private prayer. He retired to in a monastery in Vatican City, where he read, wrote letters and articles, received guests and played the piano.

But the former pope remained a powerful conservative influence and a focus for opponents of Francis’s efforts to reform the church and redirect it to serving the poor He repeatedly made his views known through letters, articles and interviews. In April 2019, two months after Francis convened a groundbreaking Vatican conference on sexual abuse, Benedict published a 6,000-word letter saying abuse was a product of a culture of sexual freedom dating from the 1960s.

In January 2020, Benedict publicly defended clerical celibacy, as Francis was considering allowing married men to become priests in limited circumstances. “I cannot keep silent,” he wrote in a book, From the Depths of our Hearts: priesthood, celibacy and the crisis of the Catholic church, arguing that priestly celibacy protected the mystery of the church.

In the resulting furore, Benedict asked for his name to be removed as co-author with Cardinal Robert Sarah, a key conservative tipped to succeed Francis.

The controversy, which erupted just before the Two Popes, a film about the apparently warm relationship between Benedict and Francis, was aired on Netflix, exposed tensions between rival Vatican camps.

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Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race

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The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”

He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”

Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.

He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.

“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”

The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.

He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”

“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”

Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.

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Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency

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The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.

In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.

Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote

Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.

The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.

‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.

President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded

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Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience

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Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.

The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.

In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.

He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”

The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.

Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.

“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”

Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.

“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”

The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.

By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.

The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.

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