By Sylvester Idowu
An Environmentalist, Chief Sheriff Mulade has called on the Federal Government to extend palliatives and cash transfer to the peoples of riverine communities in the Niger Delta region.
He lamented that the peoples of riverine communities in the Niger Delta are already facing serious hardships since the commencement of the lockdown by states governments to curb the spread of coronavirus in the region.
According to him, the dwellers of the riverine communities, mostly fishermen and farmers, could no longer go out for their daily businesses and as such face the pangs of hunger.
Chief Mulade, who is the National Coordinator of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) in a statement yesterday therefore urged the authorities at all levels to provide a means of livelihood for the Niger Delta people, whom he said are the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians that needs more palliatives, including the Federal Government’s social investment programme.
He strongly appealed to the Federal Government, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, amongst others, to give equal treatment to all Nigerians in terms of distribution of palliatives, cash provisions, test kits, medicine, and face masks to save lives adding “we are all collectively involved in the global efforts at curbing the deadly disease”.

The Activist also appealed to Nigerians to support the steps taken by Federal and State Governments towards containing the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria.
Chief Mulade, who is the Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, described the extra two weeks lockdown by President Muhammadu Buhari as a welcome development since it is in the interest and safety of all Nigerians.
He noted that the additional two weeks would help the Government, NCDC and health workers to manage the spread of COVID-19, and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the bold step to save lives irrespective of political considerations.
Speaking on the rise in confirmed cases as reported by NCDC, Chief Mulade appealed to the Federal and State Governments to consider the riverine communities of the Niger Delta Region, particularly the densely populated communities in the creeks, whom he alleged are neglected in the whole process, by providing isolation centers, test kits and medicine, as well as train more health workers.
Chief Mulade also charged the Federal Government to use the lockdown to conduct a nationwide door-to-door covid-19 test on every Nigerian to ascertain the actual number of COVID-19 cases in the country so as to commence treatment immediately.
He maintained that if the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health could execute a nationwide door-to-door vaccination for children to prevent polio and other diseases, a door-to-door covid-19 test for all Nigerians should not be a problem.
