By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
As floods continue to wreak havoc across the oil-rich Niger Delta, a passionate call has gone out to Nigerian leaders to stop playing politics with people’s lives and take urgent action.
An Environmental and development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, has called for transparency and accountability in the use of ecological funds, accusing governors in the region of squandering billions while communities remain submerged year after year.
Speaking against the backdrop of worsening flooding that has devastated farmland, destroyed homes, and claimed lives across states like Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, Mulade expressed deep concern over what he described as the abuse of federal allocations meant to tackle these problems.
“The federal government has disbursed over N600 billion in ecological funds over the last decade,” he said.
“Yet, the Niger Delta which receives a substantial portion has seen no meaningful impact. People are still dying, farms are being washed away, and unemployment is rising because our land is drowning.”
Mulade, a native of the flood-prone Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, said the problem lies not in lack of resources but in mismanagement. He alleged that state governors have turned ecological funding into a looting jamboree, setting up politically motivated flood management committees that serve as cash-outs during emergencies rather than offering real solutions.
“These committees are often hurriedly set up during the flood season with no long-term plans. Instead of addressing drainage failures or opening up blocked natural waterways, they waste millions erecting makeshift IDP camps without clean water, sanitation, or health facilities,” he lamented.
Beyond poor planning, the environmentalist accused successive administrations in the Niger Delta of allowing corruption and political interference to derail genuine efforts.
“We are where we are because those entrusted with the funds have chosen personal enrichment over the people’s survival. Our communities are drowning while politicians build houses over natural water routes,” he said.
Mulade called for the establishment of dedicated flood response agencies in the Niger Delta states, equipped with professional oversight and engineering expertise.
“If we are serious, we need permanent agencies tasked with stormwater management, dam construction, and maintenance of drainage and water channels. We can’t keep treating floods like seasonal events when they are now a permanent threat,” he added.
With climate change intensifying rainfall and sea-level rise across coastal Nigeria, Mulade warned that time is running out.
“This is not just about the Niger Delta anymore. Food insecurity, displacement, and environmental degradation are national problems. Unless action is taken now, we may be heading toward an ecological disaster of unthinkable scale,” he concluded.