Mulade Inaugurates Committee for Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Football Tournament
WARRI/Nigeria: Niger Delta activist and National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Chief Sheriff Mulade, on Thursday, August 22, 2024, inaugurated a 10-man Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Football Tournament.
This tournament, designed to promote peaceful coexistence among ethnic groups in Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial Districts, is scheduled to kick off on November 16, 2024, at Ode Itsekiri. It will be one of the key activities marking the United Nations International Day of Tolerance on December 7, 2024.
During the inauguration ceremony at the CEPEJ’s Africa for Peace Centre in Ugolo-Okpe, near Osubi, Chief Mulade, a prominent Niger Delta peace advocate, emphasized that this year’s event, the fourth in the series, has been expanded to include more ethnic groups. Unlike previous editions, which only involved the Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic groups, this year’s competition will also feature the Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, fostering greater unity among the people of Delta Central and South.
“This programme is our contribution to promoting peaceful coexistence among the people of Delta State,” Chief Mulade stated. “We expanded it to include the Isoko and Urhobo communities, aiming to create a peaceful environment that will facilitate the government’s development efforts across the State.”
Chief Mulade also announced that the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, would ceremonially kick off the tournament at Ode-Itsekiri, serving as the Royal Father of the Day. The competition will see the winning team take home a star prize of N2 million, with the runners-up receiving N1.5 million, third place N1 million, and fourth place N500,000, totaling N5 million in prizes.
Responding on behalf of the Committee, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Association, Hon. Kenneth Nwaomucha, praised Mulade for his dedication and innovative approach in organizing previous tournaments. He urged committee members to give their best efforts to ensure the success of this year’s unity football tournament.
Dr. Godwin Orhadahwe, Chairman of CEPEJ’s Board of Trustees, called on the media to provide extensive coverage of the tournament, encouraging stakeholders to actively participate in the event through in-depth analysis and advocacy, ensuring the tournament’s goals are achieved.
