A presidential aspirant and businessman, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has urged northern political and social elites to take responsibility for the worsening insecurity in the region. He also applauded the appointment of General Christopher Musa as the Minister of Defence.
The presidential aspirant described Musa’s appointment as a crucial opportunity that must yield concrete results. In a statement yesterday, Olawepo-Hashim said he closely followed Musa’s Senate screening and was impressed by the military chief’s sincerity, clarity, and commitment to national service.
“I watched General Musa’s Senate clearance session. He sounded like someone genuinely committed to Nigeria. I hope he receives the full executive support needed to succeed in this critical assignment,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim cautioned that Nigerians and global security observers are increasingly losing patience with political promises, stressing that citizens now expect decisive and immediate action to halt killings, kidnappings, and the territorial ambitions of extremist groups in Northern Nigeria.
“This is not the season for symbolism. This is the season for action. Nigerians want to see immediate steps. This appointment must not become another publicity stunt. We want to see policies, programmes and results,” he warned.
The presidential aspirant urged the executive and the National Assembly to fast-track legislation that would support state and local government policing structures. He insisted that no lasting security reform is possible without a strong local security framework.
Olawepo-Hashim also argued that the North must acknowledge internal governance failures that have fuelled extremist recruitment across the region. “That extremists are finding recruits in their thousands is not accidental. It is the product of deep poverty caused by decades of governance failure at state and local government levels. While the Sahel crisis has contributed, poor local governance has compounded the problem,” he stated.
Reflecting on the First Republic, Olawepo-Hashim contrasted the era’s integrity-driven leadership with what he described as the opulence and detachment of many present-day Northern leaders. “In the days of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Joseph Tarka, and Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the North was safer, more united and governed with honesty and discipline. Today, too many of our leaders live like oil sheikhs in the midst of mass poverty,” he said.
According to him, there is a need for leadership renewal across northern Nigeria. “It is time for the North to replace leaders who live like oil sheikhs amidst poverty and continue to hold onto power through ethnic and religious manipulation,” he added.
