Chief (Comrade) Mulade Sheriff's Development Strides are Worth Emulating

Courtesy: Nigeria for Good Governance

A notable traditional high Chief in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Comrade Sheriff Mulade is a man worth emulating in all ramifications in terms of his development strides over the years. He is a man with a great vision and a heart of gold. His passion for both human and capital development led to the establishment of an NGO, the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ which helped in providing the needed support for and assistance to people of Delta State and beyond.

His support covers the Government, kingdoms, communities and individuals, as well as education, peacebuilding and conflict resolution in different aspects of life.

The following are some of his support and or assistance programmes for years now:

From August 22 to September 1, 2008, CEPEJ, in partnership with the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), organized a capacity building workshop in the United States of America for selected youths and community leaders on non-violence approach to conflict resolution.

In July 2009, CEPEJ organized a workshop in Warri and Ughelli, Delta State, to sensitize and educate community youths on the environmental impacts and the dangers of pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering, as well as indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels.

On February 26, 2010, CEPEJ convened a stakeholders' conference in Warri, Delta State on environmental safety in the Niger Delta Region.

On September 1 and 2, 2011, CEPEJ organized a national seminar on security tagged “Insecurity, a Threat to National Unity and Development: The Role of Stakeholders.” The seminar was held in Owerri the Imo State Capital, with representatives of the Military, State Security Service, Police and other Government agencies in attendance.

On the 12th of March, 2012, CEPEJ organized a seminar for practicing journalists on the role of the media in mitigating security and environmental challenges in Nigeria. It was held at the NUJ Press Centre, Warri, Delta State.

From the 19th to 21st of September, 2012, CEPEJ organized a national summit on, and tours of the environment tagged “Lagos 2012” with a focus on “Reforming the Nigerian Environment.”

On September 24th and 25th, 2013, CEPEJ organized a National seminar on Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Piracy in the Niger Delta I'llRegion, tagged “Bayelsa 2013.” The focus was on Eradicating Ecological Threats and Sea Piracy Challenges in Africa.”

On the 8th of July, 2014, CEPEJ, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Akwa Ibom State Council, organized a one-day enlightenment workshop on ethical media practice for journalists, at the NUJ Press Centre, Uyo the Imo State Capital.

On the 6th and 7th of November, 2014, CEPEJ organized a peace and environment conference tagged “Ghana 2014” with a focus on the Challenges Confronting Oil & Gas Prospecting and Producing Countries in Africa, Nigeria as a Case Study. The conference took place at Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre, Accra, Ghana. Stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries and the western world, attended the Accra conference.

On February 5, 2015, the NGO, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, organized a one-day sensitization workshop at the NUJ Press Centre, Benin City, for journalists covering the 2015 general elections.

On the 19th and 20th of November, 2015, CEPEJ organized an International Peace and Security Conference tagged “Delta 2015,” with a focus on 'Peace and Security: A Panacea for Consolidating Democracy in West Africa." It took place at Nelrose Hotel, Asaba with stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia in attendance.

In March 2016, CEPEJ inaugurated a Community Peace Building Network for Ekpan Community in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. A capacity building programme on Early Warning Signals is currently on-going for members of the Peace-building Network.

On the 10th of November, 2016, CEPEJ organized an Africa Leadership and Security Summit tagged “Abuja 2016,” with a focus on Sustainable Democracy, Environment, Security and Development in Africa. It took place at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja.

In 2017, CEPEJ, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Network on Good Governance, Partners for Peace and Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations, celebrated the International Day of Peace in Benin City, Edo State. It focused on Peace, Respect, Safety and Dignity for all.

On the 7th & 8th of November, 2017, CEPEJ organized its 8th Annual Conference at University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, tagged “EDO 2017. Its focus was on Security and Environment in the Niger Delta Region.

In his bid to enhance and encourage quality education in the riverine areas of Delta State, Comrade Sheriff Mulade initiated the Peace and Unity Quiz and Essay Competitions among Secondary Schools in the riverine areas of Warri South-West Constituency of Delta State. The quiz and essay competitions held at Kokodiagbene Town Hall on Thursday 23rd November, 2017.

On the 27th of February, 2018, CEPEJ organized a one-day enlightenment seminar at its Head Office in Ugolo-Okpe near Warri on the Role of CSOs and the Media in the promotion of sustainable environment in the Niger Delta Region. On the 1st of March, 2018, at the same venue, CEPEJ organized a one-day enlightenment seminar on the role of security agencies as development partners in the Niger Delta Region.

On June 5, 2017, CEPEJ, in collaboration with Kokodiagbene Elders and Community Development Committee, celebrated the World Environment Day tagged “Connecting the People to Nature, by carrying out a public awareness campaign on clean environment and the planting of coconut trees.

From 2017 to 2018, the NGO, in collaboration with Egbema Gbaranatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF, organized a programme on Peacebuilding Process and Capacity Building of Youths, Women and Community Leaders in six flow-station host communities in Delta State. In the same period, CEPEJ organized a peace, environment and security conference in Minna, the Niger State Capital.

From Nov. 2018 to Feb. 2019, CEPEJ collaborated with the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND, to organize a capacity building project for the youths, women, security agents and men on peacebuilding and early warning signals. It took place at Gbokoda and Opuama Communities in Warri North LGA of Delta State.

In Feb and March 2019, CEPEJ carried out a schools awareness campaign programme against cultism and other forms of violence in primary and secondary schools in Uvwie and Okpe Council Areas of Delta State.

In July 2019, CEPEJ established a Peace and Environment Club in selected communities and secondary schools in Bayelsa, Niger and Delta States. The clubs still function till date.

From Nov 2017 till date, CEPEJ has organized educational and peace building programmes in selected secondary schools in the three Warri LGAs. It has also organized many sports competitions among the youths for peacebuilding in selected Ijaw and Itsekiri communities of Delta State.

On Sep 21, 2019, CEPEJ, in collaboration with Search for Common Ground, and Uvwie Improvement Development Union, celebrated International Day of Peace in Uvwie LGA. Secondary School Students, Community Youths, Women Leaders and CSOs participated in the event.

In April 2020, CEPEJ distributed palliatives to, and sensitized community dwellers in Okpe, Warri and their environs on the dangers of Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to adhere to health precautionary measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, CEPEJ CEO, Chief Mulade directed the NGO to distribute palliatives wash-hand buckets and sanitizers to various kingdoms and schools across Delta State. Some of the kingdoms that benefited included Ogbe-Ijoh, Gbaramatu, Iwere and Okpe, amongst others.

Owing to his spirit of magnanimity, Chief Mulade donated a Boat to the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko to ease transportation, and renovated some sections of Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS, Warri.

CEPEJ, in 2020, built, furnished and donated the Delta State Intelligence Investigation Bureau (SIIB) Building to the Warri Area Command of the Nigeria Police. The handover ceremony held on September 17th, 2020, and was witnessed by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz M. Inuwa, and the Director General (DG) Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolutions, Abuja, Prof Bakut Tswah.

CEPEJ also gave support to the efforts being made by the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh Peace Vanguard to resolve the age-long communal crisis between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities.

Chief Mulade built boarding facilities for students of Kokodiagbene Secondary School, Kokodiagbene.

He also sponsored and supported several Bills at both the National and Delta State Assemblies, for the good of the Niger Delta people.

Indeed, the activities and development support initiatives of Chief (Comrade) Sheriff Mulade are endless. He is a blessing to Delta State, the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria in general. We are proud of him

With the development strides listed above, it is shocking that an Aide of the Governor, Barr. Fred Latimore, could write a negative report about Chief Sheriff Mulade, when he, Latimore has not contributed anything to the development of his own community.

It is therefore laughable that Fred Oghenesibve Latimor Esq could write a fake news report about Chief Mulade simply because he, Mulade, appealed to the Delta State Governor to upgrade the School of Marine Technology, Burutu, the College of Education, Warri and Sinebe Grammar School, Bomadi, to give a sense of belonging and equal rights to Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities in Delta State.

It is important to state that the request of Chief Mulade is a novelty. For instance, his request for the upgrade of School of Marine Technology, Burutu to a University of Fisheries and Environmental Studies, the Collage of Education, Warri to a University of Peace Building and Conflict Studies, Sinebe Grammar School, Bomadi to a University of Youth Development, and the State School of Nursing Ofuoma-Ughelli to a University of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, will go a long way to improving the educational status of the ethnic nationalities, and that of Delta State in general.