Ijaw Traditional Rulers Chair Endorse Delta Ethnic Peace Unity Football 2024, Gives Royal Recommendation
By Ezekiel Kagbala
Chairman of the Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum, His Royal Majesty, Elder (Capt.) Joseph I. Timiyan (JP) PhD, on Wednesday called on the people of Delta State, home and in the Diaspora, to "embrace the Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Football Tournament as a veritable means for peace building in the State".
The monarch while endorsing the upcoming sports event billed to kick off on November 16, 2024 at Ode Itsekiri, Warri South Local Government Area of the State, noted with delight that "this initiative by Comrade Sheriff Mulade has lasted for over ten years".
The highly revered traditional ruler who is the Ebenanaowei Of Ogulagha Kingdom, spoke in Warri while welcoming the National Coordinator, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade, the Local Organizing Committee chairman of the tournament, Hon. Kenneth Nwaomucha, alongside representatives of the four senatorial districts in the state on an invitation visit to him.
The monarch while recommending the competition as "a veritable tool for peacebuilding" expressed appreciation to the organizers for the honour accorded to him with the invitation. He described the organizer and chief host of the programme as "a man who has the interest of his people at heart".
The monarch said, "It is not easy to initiate something like this and follow it up for over ten years. He is spending his money. Football is the game people love. I know that about 70 to 80 percent of people love football in the world. In other way round, I also love football. This initiative will go a long way to unite the people, especially the youth.
"If our youth love themselves, it will be very difficult to use them to create crisis. In every crisis anywhere, the leaders are also involved and once leaders are involved, the youth will carry it out. So, if the youth love themselves, it will be very difficult to send them for that evil mission. What Mulade is doing is to eliminate crisis; to bring everybody together. When youth are together, the fathers are also involved; such Unity will bring fathers, leaders and youth together.
"As time goes on, people will appreciate more what Sheriff Mulade is doing. I will encourage him to continue".
Speaking earlier, Mulade briefed the monarch on the essence of the competition which, according to him, "is to promote peaceful coexistence between all ethnic groups in Delta State. Mulade expressed the hope that "when there is peace, uninterrupted development can be guaranteed".
He explained that 24 teams will participate in the Ethnic Peace and Unity Cup Competition noting that this edition, being the 5th in the series, "has been expanded to include Ika, Isoko, Ndokwa and Urhobo ethnic groups to promote harmony among all in the State".
Mulade further informed the monarch that N5million is the consolidated prize at stake in the football competition, with the winner going home with N2million and runners up with N1.5million, third place with N1million and the fourth place bagging N500,000.
The local organizing committee chairman, Chief (Hon) Kenneth Nwaomucha, appreciated the king for recommending the sports event to all Deltans just as he remarked that the final games will be played on December 8, 2024, at Ororokpe, in Okpe LGA..
