Human and environmental justice advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff has called for restoration of Delta State; stating that the state is sinking economically, politically and in human capital development.
The peace and development advocate said this in Abuja, while addressing a cross section of Delta State youths to mark the 2022 International Youths Day. He noted that the oil-rich state is sinking fast, describing it as “the most economic suffering state in Nigeria” due to bad leaders and mal-governance over the years.
While expressing his sadness towards the situation, Comrade Mulade noted that the youths have been reduced to political sycophancy and thuggery, claiming that; “Deve” or “Agbero” are the only jobs available to them.
On political appointments by the present administration, he said the highest appointment the governor provides for the teeming youths is Senior Special Advisers (SSA) and Special Advisers (SA), which placed them as government political thugs, rather than meaningful profession for serving the state, lamenting that “this is really disheartening”.
Comrade Mulade also stated that the state economy is continuously nose diving as a result of uncalculated borrowings by the present administration with little or no development impact on the people, “hence, this requires the collective efforts of all Deltans to rescue the state through collaboration, support and experience-sharing to assist in restoring the state to it past glory and to be envied by other states in the country”.
The Gbaramatu Kingdom-born Chief and activist also said that Delta State is blessed and privileged to have had two medical professionals as governors as well as two legal icons as deputy governors, which ought to have brought real development and professionalism in governance.
Supporting his claims of underdevelopment of the administrations; Comrade Mulade said that with Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan and Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as governors of Delta State, the state ought to be the best health-service provider in Nigeria, which unfortunately is not the case, which “in fact, is a big shame to the State”.
On the deputy governors, the activist said, “Prof. Amos Otuama and Barr. Kingsley Otuara both as deputy governors of the state were expected to show to the world, particularly Nigerian youths, the importance of legal profession and education in governance, and to be law abiding state, but Delta State became the most lawless state in the nation without any recourse to human rights”.
On restoring the state to its full potential, Comrade Mulade said that with the 2023 general elections fast approaching, Deltans, particularly the youths should choose wisely by “voting the right candidates with knowledge of community development, environmental base orientation, street leadership qualities, youth and women development plans”.
He said; “Someone that has deep and sincere concern for those living with disabilities, real sense for economic and educational development as well as infrastructure, that will bring development to all parts of the state”.
He added that when all Deltans come together to vote the right people as Governor, Senators, House of Representative and State House of Assembly members, Delta State will be rescued and restored from the present underdevelopment.