Niger Delta born development activist and peace advocate, Comrade Sheriff Mulade has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, and Nigerians for the appointment of new Service Chiefs, noting that it will put an end to agitations from the people of the need to rejig the security apparatus of the nation.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, Mulade, who is the National Coordinator of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, said the calls for restructuring by politicians, religious and ethnic groups in parts of the country, especially in recent times, showed that restructuring is the only solution to Nigeria’s problems.
He joined other stakeholders in Nigeria to call for the urgent restructuring of the country following the mismanagement of the nation’s resources, as well as the endless marginalization of the South-South Region of the country.
Speaking on the role of the Niger Delta in national development, Mulade, who is also the Ibe-Sorimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, said the region is the main economic live wire of Nigeria by virtue of its crude oil and gas productions which earn the nation huge financial incomes.
He, however, lamented the utter neglect of the oil and gas rich region in terms of infrastructure, health, road construction, economic and human empowerment, as well as security and education, amongst others.
Mulade, a front-line development advocate politician in Warri South-West Local Government Area, expressed sadness over the high level of political marginalization of the Niger Delta people, many of whom are qualified to work for the growth and development of the country but unfortunately are not included in the present administration, and are rather ridiculed when making suggestions for nation-building.
While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his proactiveness towards tackling the insecurity challenges, especially with the appointment of the new Service Chiefs, he, however, noted that restructuring is part of the developmental agenda of the All Progressive Congress ( APC ), as a party adding that it was one of the main reasons the people voted the party to power in the first place.
Mulade charged the presidency to listen to the voices of the people and restructure the country now before it is too late noting that the call was necessitated by the rise in the spate of insecurity across the nation.
