By Damilola Samuel
The National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Warri Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Chief Mulade B. Sheriff, has proposed an employment opportunities desk in his constituency office to connect residents with jobs and other opportunities from government agencies and private organisations.
Mulade said the initiative would help ensure that available opportunities reach communities across the constituency instead of being concentrated in one area.
He made the proposal while unveiling his agenda under the PLATFORM programme of the Warri Correspondents’ Chapel in Warri, Delta State.
According to him, a federal lawmaker should use the office to build links between constituents, government ministries and agencies, as well as businesses operating in the area.
“As the representative, you can use the office to open a lot of doors, communicate, relate and engage critical stakeholders in the business environment and ministries,” he said.
The NDP candidate also linked employment creation with youth development, saying meaningful engagement could reduce the vulnerability of young people to crime, violence and political thuggery.
“If these youths are engaged and empowered, we will not see youths being used for thuggery by those politicians or those in office,” Mulade said.
Women empowerment, he added, would be another major part of his proposed agenda, with access to economic opportunities and support programmes aimed at improving the welfare of families.
“If you empower one woman, you have empowered a family; and when a family is empowered, the community is empowered. When the communities are empowered, the constituency is blessed,” he said.
Mulade said his plans would also cover skills development, healthcare, education, infrastructure, peace and sustainable development.
He said his interest in legislative politics was influenced by his years of environmental advocacy in the Niger Delta, arguing that some of the issues he had campaigned on could be addressed more directly through the legislative process.
“To correct some of these abnormalities in the environmental justice space, you need to be part of government. We have done that for decades and discovered that until we are part of the process, it will be difficult to correct some of these issues,” he said.
He pledged to raise issues concerning environmental degradation and pollution affecting oil-producing communities if elected, while advocating greater federal attention to Warri Federal Constituency.
On constituency development funds, Mulade said the resources should serve residents rather than be treated as personal benefits.
“Constituency funds are made for the people. For me, this one will be used for the people,” he said.
He also promised to work with traditional rulers and other stakeholders, stressing that peace would be necessary for development in the constituency.
“It is only when we have peace that development can be attracted to the area,” he said.
Mulade said his seven-point agenda, tagged “Mandate to Serve 2027 — The Light of Hope,” was built around economic opportunities, healthcare, education, peace and unity, infrastructure, sustainable development and employment creation.
He added that his campaign was informed by his desire to move from advocacy into direct legislative representation.
“I don’t need to be the governor of Delta State to change Warri. I can use Warri Federal Constituency to tell Delta that a new Delta is possible,” he said.
