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INC, IYC, Ann Kio-Briggs Applaud Ndiomu For Creating Cooperatives To Empower Ex-agitators

Published

3 years ago

March 21, 2023

Editor

The Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and prominent activist, Ann Kio-Briggs have applauded the various economic schemes introduced by Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd), to empower ex-agitators.

The President of the INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said in an interview that the idea of floating a Cooperative Society would enable ex-agitators have easy access to funds to establish Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

He said such SMEs would aid the economic growth and development of the Niger Delta and the country.

Okaba, who was speaking while making an assessment of Ndiomu’s six-month stewardship as the Interim Administrator of PAP, said the ex-agitators had been given an opportunity to become more useful to themselves and their families.

He said the cooperative scheme and other economic blueprints of Ndiomu would turn ex-agitators to entrepreneurs, who would no longer depend on the monthly N65,000 stipends.

Okaba said: “Ndiomu’s various empowerment scheme is targeted at making the ex-agitators self-reliant. The present boss has also started the process of assessing employment opportunities for ex-militants, who have gotten training from both local and international sources.

“I learned some of them have been pushed into security services, some into the oil companies, and some are even encouraged to form cooperatives with funding so that they can start up their own businesses.

“The Amnesty Programme is taking a new shape. There are serious consultations. He goes down to the stakeholders in their villages and communities, meeting their demands and addresses them as swiftly as possible”.

The National Spokesman of the IYC, Ebilade Ekerefe, attributed the sustained peace in the Niger Delta to the efforts of Ndiomu in addressing the concerns and needs of ex-agitators.

Describing Ndiomu as a man of discipline and courage, Ekerefe also commended him for his consistent interface with stakeholders in the region.

He said: “Maj.-Gen. Ndiomu has also contributed to the sustained peace that we are currently enjoying in the region. Because Ndiomu is a man of discipline, character and courage.

“So we commend Ndiomu for his consistent interface with stakeholders of the region, which is very key because the program itself is a product of stakeholders’ decisions.

“The president saw capacity and courage in Ndiomu which was what informed the president to appoint him in that capacity. Of course, that has also contributed to his being appointed as chairman of the special panel on crude oil theft.

“He is a man who is committed to making sure that the Amnesty Programme is positioned in achieving the aims and objectives of why it was set up”.

The Ijaw Rights Activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, said Ndiomu’s periodic consultation and engagement with critical stakeholders and regular payments of stipends to ex-agitators had brought a new lease of life to the PAP.

She said: “The areas that Gen. Ndiomu has focused on including prompt and timely payment of stipends and fees of PAP’s scholarship beneficiaries is quite commendable. Within the short period he has been in office, I can say he has tried his best to reposition the programme.

“However, there are still areas that needs to be done, including more training programmes for our youths. It is on this note I call on the Federal Government to activate the various training centres, especially the one in Rivers State”.

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‘We Cure Madness With Madness’: Five Things To know About Taye Currency

Published

5 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

The name ‘Taye Currency’ has continued to trend on social media following the Fuji music artiste’s performance at the coronation of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, on Friday.

Taye Currency, during his performance at the coronation event which took place at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, rendered a line in Yoruba, “Were la fi n wo were,” which translates to “we cure madness with madness.”

The line, which seems not to have sat well with many Nigerians, particularly those of Yoruba heritage, has continued to generate a lot of criticism, with many opining that such lyrics were not befitting for the occasion, which had in attendance dignitaries including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors, ministers, traditional rulers, and other crème de la crème of society.

Reacting to the development, the Olu of Kemta Orile in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Adetokunbo Tejuosho, criticised Taye Currency for what he described as “classless and unbefitting lyrics.”

According to him, the musician failed to accord the coronation its due respect, describing his lyrics as unbefitting of the sacred ceremony.

He said, “The throne of our ancestors is not a stage for mockery, nor the coronation of a great monarch a subject for careless entertainment.

“Kingship is sacred, adorned with honor and guarded by tradition. It demands reverence, dignity, honor, class and the utmost respect from all who stand in its presence.

“Listening to the musician (Taye Currency), who was invited to render music before the Crown, as a matter of fact before the entire world, to serenade the audience and sing in a way to express admiration, singing songs like (were lafi n wo were) We use madness to cure madness.

“Such lyrics were classless and unbefitting of such occasions, it is insulting to the sacredness of the gathering.”

While Taye Currency is well known among Fuji music lovers, especially those from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, his performance at the Olubadan coronation has made people want to know more about him.

In this article, Tribune Online takes a look at five things to know about the trending Fuji musician.

1. Full Name and Age

His full name is Taye Akande Adebisi. Apart from his popular stage name, Taye Currency, he is also known as ‘Apesin.’ He celebrated his 50th birthday on December 17, 2024.

2. Appointment as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, appointed him as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism in 2019 during the governor’s first tenure.

3. Father of a Lawmaker

In 2019, Taye Currency’s son, Yusuf Oladeni Adebisi, was elected into the Oyo State House of Assembly to represent Ibadan South-West Constituency 1, which earned Taye Currency another nickname, ’Baba Honorable’ (Honourable’s father). He was re-elected in 2023 as a lawmaker on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

4. Financial Setback

In April 2025, Taye Currency publicly lamented that he lost N10 million to CBEX, a crypto/investment scheme many now regard as a collapsed Ponzi platform. He explained that he was convinced to invest by close associates, only to see the scheme crumble shortly after.

5. Affiliation with Pasuma

Taye Currency has often maintained that although he never learnt Fuji music from his senior colleague, Wasiu Alabi Odetona, popularly known as Pasuma, whom he first met in 1993, he still considers him a boss.

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JUST IN: PENGASSAN Strike May Trigger Nationwide Blackout, Thermal Plants Shut Down

Published

8 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

Nigerians may face a nationwide blackout from Monday as power generation companies have raised the alarm over an imminent shutdown of thermal plants following directives from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generating Companies, Joy Ogaji, raised the alarm over the imminent blackout in a WhatsApp message on Sunday.

She revealed that gas suppliers had issued notices to halt supply to thermal power stations in line with PENGASSAN’s strike resolution.

“Good day, all. Thermal GenCos have received notification from our gas suppliers to shut down our thermal power plants following directives from PENGASSAN. The Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company has specifically requested GenCos to comply,” Ogaji said in the post.

She warned that the development could plunge the country into darkness, as hydroelectric dams alone cannot sustain the national grid.

“Please all be notified of the imminent darkness, as hydros alone cannot sustain the system,” she added.

The warning comes hours after PENGASSAN announced that it would commence a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the dismissal of over 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

The oil workers’ union, after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed its members in all oil and gas installations to down tools until the sackings were reversed.

The action could cripple crude production, fuel supply, gas distribution and now electricity generation, worsening the hardship faced by Nigerians.

With thermal stations accounting for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s electricity supply, industry experts say the shutdown will trigger widespread outages, stretch hydro plants beyond capacity and heighten the risk of a nationwide system collapse.

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Customs Launches One-stop-shop To Cut Cargo Clearance To 48 Hours

Published

9 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has officially introduced its ‘One-Stop-Shop (OSS)’ initiative aimed at reducing cargo clearance time to 48 hours.

NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Maiwada said the initiative was unveiled recently during a meeting between NCS management and Customs Area Controllers, chaired by the Comptroller-General (C-G), Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja.

He said the meeting deliberated on the service’s modernisation agenda and the role of leadership in driving reforms across commands.

Maiwada quoted the C-G as describing the OSS as a “transformative shift” which aligned with global best practices and the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.

Adeniyi said the reform was designed to sanitise operations, reduce duplication of efforts and ensure predictability in customs procedures.

“The OSS initiative will not only shorten clearance time from 21 days to 48 hours, but it will also strengthen trader confidence, restore transparency and make our operations more business-friendly,” Adeniyi said.

The C-G acknowledged the role of technology in customs operations but also emphasised the importance of physical engagement with officers.

“As much as technology has helped us, it has its limits. There are moments when physical presence, coming together under one roof, adds weight and value to our deliberations,” he said.

The NCS boss said the reform would be piloted at Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne Ports before being rolled out nationwide.

He added that the initiative was constitutionally supported by the NCS Act 2023 and aligned with the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

“This is not just a policy. It is a statement of intent that reflects our determination to build a modern, transparent and trader-friendly Customs Service,” he said.

The spokesperson said that under the OSS framework, all customs units would work jointly on flagged declarations, eliminating multiple checks and reducing delays.

According to him, consignments cleared under the OSS will not be subject to re-interception, thereby reducing costs and enhancing trade facilitation.

He said the meeting also provided a platform to review the NCS accountability framework, including a new central dashboard that tracks clearance times, interventions and stakeholder satisfaction.