Presidential hopeful and globally recognised businessman, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called on the North’s political and social elite to take responsibility for the region’s escalating insecurity.

He also commended the appointment of General Christopher Musa as the new Minister of Defence, describing it as a vital opportunity that must deliver real and measurable results.

In a statement issued yesterday, Olawepo-Hashim said he followed Musa’s Senate screening closely and was impressed by the nominee’s honesty, clarity of thought and dedication to national service.

“I watched General Musa’s Senate screening. He came across as someone genuinely committed to Nigeria’s progress. I hope he gets full executive support to succeed in this crucial role,” he said.

However, he cautioned that Nigerians—and international security analysts—are losing patience with repeated political assurances. He stressed that citizens now demand swift, decisive action to end killings, kidnappings and the growing territorial ambitions of extremist groups in the North.

“This is not a season for symbolism; it is a season for action. Nigerians want immediate steps, not publicity stunts. This appointment must translate into policies, programmes and tangible results,” he warned.

Olawepo-Hashim urged both the executive and the National Assembly to speed up legislation permitting state and local policing, insisting that enduring security reform is impossible without strong, community-based structures.

He added that northern leaders must acknowledge decades of governance failures that have pushed thousands of young people into extremist recruitment networks.

“The mass recruitment of extremists is not accidental. It stems from deep poverty created by years of poor governance at the state and local levels. While the wider Sahel crisis has contributed, bad governance at home has made the situation worse,” he said.

Reflecting on the First Republic, he contrasted the era’s disciplined, service-driven leadership with what he described as the extravagant, disconnected lifestyle of many contemporary northern leaders.

“In the era 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 leaders live like oil sheikhs amid widespread poverty,” he lamented.

Olawepo-Hashim concluded with a call for leadership renewal across the North.

“It is time for the North to replace leaders who enrich themselves while the people remain poor, and who continue to hold onto power through ethnic and religious manipulation,” he declared.

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