Renowned Niger Delta-based human rights and development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, PhD, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to take urgent and decisive measures to address the growing wave of hunger, hardship, and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
In a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday, Mulade expressed deep concern over what he described as the increasing focus of political office holders on electoral ambitions, while widespread poverty and food insecurity continue to worsen across the country.
He stressed the need for leadership to prioritize the welfare and protection of citizens, noting that many Nigerians are dying both quietly and openly due to avoidable socio-economic challenges.
“We must rise above these challenges and halt the preventable loss of lives occurring daily as a result of leadership shortcomings in ensuring citizens’ welfare and security,” Mulade stated.
The United Nations Peace Ambassador observed that relative calm in the Niger Delta region is largely attributable to the engagement of youths through pipeline surveillance initiatives.
According to him, “The current stability in the Niger Delta, particularly within the oil and gas sector, is largely due to pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to firms such as Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited and Pipeline Infrastructure Limited.
These engagements have provided employment opportunities for many youths and contributed to a measure of economic stability in the region.
“Without these interventions, insecurity in the region could have escalated beyond the levels currently witnessed in other parts of the country, potentially triggering severe economic consequences for Nigeria,” he added.
Mulade, who holds the traditional title of Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient oil-rich Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, appealed to the Federal Government to sustain these surveillance contracts, warning that discontinuing them could further weaken the nation’s fragile economy, particularly as the 2027 general elections approach.
He reiterated that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property, urging the administration not to lose focus on governance in pursuit of political continuity.
“It is imperative that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, does not abandon its core duty of safeguarding citizens in favor of reelection pursuits,” he said.
Mulade further lamented the declining public trust in government at all levels, attributing it to a perceived overemphasis on power retention rather than meaningful economic reforms, citizen welfare, and national development.
He concluded with a strong call for immediate action, urging the President to steer the country away from its current challenges and position Nigeria as a true economic powerhouse in Africa, not only in population and landmass but in prosperity and stability.
