‘Nigerians Are Dying of Hunger’ – Mulade to Tinubu

A Niger Delta-based human rights and development advocate, Mulade Sheriff, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent and pragmatic steps to address rising hunger, hardship and insecurity across Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mulade expressed concern over what he described as increasing deaths linked to economic hardship, warning that Nigerians are “dying silently and publicly” due to worsening living conditions.

He also criticised political office holders for focusing on re-election ambitions rather than addressing pressing socio-economic challenges affecting citizens nationwide.

“We must rise above the challenges and stop the avoidable deaths of Nigerians on daily basis because of leadership failure towards citizens welfare and protection,” he charged.

Mulade, a United Nations peace ambassador, noted that relative calm in the Niger Delta region is largely due to youth engagement through pipeline surveillance contracts.

“It is imperative to state that the current saving grace in the Niger Delta particularly the oil and gas sector is because of the current pipeline surveillance contracts awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, the Pipeline Infrastructure Limited etc., who have helped to engage majority of the youths and create some level of economic stability in the region.

“If not, the insecurity situation in the region would have been worse off than in the North East, West and Central, which may have thrown Nigeria into serious economic meltdown,” he noted.

The Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient oil-rich Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State called on the Federal Government to sustain the surveillance contracts, warning that discontinuing them could worsen insecurity and economic instability, especially ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He further stressed the need for government to prioritise the protection of lives and property, describing it as its primary responsibility.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, should not abandoned the protection of its citizens and concentrate on reelection bid.

“It is worthy of note that Nigerians are losing trust and confidence in our government at all levels because it seems political office holders are more concerned with the syndrome of holding unto power instead of creating economic stability, citizens welfare, development and protection.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR must act now to save Nigerians and our dire nation from collapsing; we must work to be truly the economic giant of Africa, not just in population and landmass,” he added.