Twenty Bucks, Okwor Foundation Using Sports to Fight Electoral Violence

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Non-government organizations, Twenty Bucks Creative and Jalo Okwor Foundation have organised the Peace Cup 2022 to raise awareness among the youth to eschew violence and promote peace in the country during the 2023 general elections.

The Founder of Twenty Bucks Creative, Charbel Olusanya Jarrouge, said the five- aside tournament held in Abuja was packaged  for the youths  to know what is right by not selling their votes.

“Seeing what is going on in Nigeria, I thought this is an opportunity to come out, speak and create awareness and to educate the youth. They should not sell their vote and future. They should look at tomorrow and not today. That is my short and direct message to them,” Jarrouge said.

He cautioned the youth not to present themselves as willing tools to perpetuate violence.

His view was corroborated by the Stephen Okwor, the National Coordinator of Jalo Okwor Initiative.

Okwor noted that the initiative, in partnership with Mary Jane Foundation is designed to be as umbrella or vehicle to promote peace in Nigeria especially with regards to the2023 election by educating the youths who are the usual tools by politicians for electoral violence

He noted that they decided to fuse sport into the campaign against violent elections plan because sports is a unifier.

“Sports is a unifier, as we are playing football now, no body is asking the other persons whether they are Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba. None is asking ‘are you Christian or Moslem?’ We don’t care about the ethnic or racial divide, social differences or economic status. We just want to play sports. That is why is sports is a special vehicle because it is neutral of religion of social and ethnic bias,” Okwor said.

He said they organised a similar programme in Ogoja, Cross River State in November last year on the heel of the first edition in Abuja in 2019. He said there is a plan for the next edition to hold in  Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.