NGO Inaugurate LOC For 2024 Delta Ethnic Peace, Unity Football Cup Tournament

Sylvester Idowu in Warri 

A Delta-based non-governmental organisation, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) yesterday inaugurated a 10-man local organising committee for the Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Football Tournament created to promote peaceful co-existence among ethnic groups in Delta Central and Delta South of the state. 

This year’s event is billed to commence November 16, 2024, at Ode Itsekiri, being International Day of Tolerance, to December 7, 2024.

Speaking at the unveiling/inauguration ceremony held at the CEPEJ’s Africa for Peace Centre in Ugolo, near Osubi, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade explained that this year’s event, the fourth in the series, will have Hon. Kenneth Nwaomucha, as Chairman of the 10-Man Planning Committee.

He disclosed that the competition has been expanded to accommodate more ethnic groups unlike in the past when it involved only Itsekiri and Ijaws alone.

Mulade explained that this year’s competition will now accommodate Itsekiri, Ijaw, Isoko and Urhobo to foster peaceful coexistence amongst the people of Delta Central and South areas of the state populated by the ethnic groups.

“This programme, unlike the previous ones, has been expanded to cover Delta Central and South. The aim is to engender peaceful coexistence among the tribes. Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw and Isoko.

“This is our contribution to promote peaceful coexistence among the people of Delta State. We are expanding it to accommodate Isoko and Urhobo to enable a peaceful environment for the government to bring the needed development to the state”, he stated.

Mulade disclosed that a princely N5m with consolidated prizes is at stake in the football competition with the winner going home with N2m, runners up with N1.5m, third place with N1m and fourth place bagging N500,000.

Responding on behalf of the committee members, the Chairman of Delta State Sports Association, Hon. Kenneth Nwaomucha commended Mulade for the initiative and efforts in the previous years and therefore urged members of the committee to put in their best when carrying out their duties.

I want to appeal to all of us to give our best towards a successful competition”, he added.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of CEPEJ, Dr. Godwin Orhadhawe, urged the media to give wider publicity on the event to achieve the purpose for which it was instituted.