By Anthony Obaseki, Warri on July 22, 2019

Organisers of the Ijaw/Itsekeri Peace and Unity Cup have announced the date for the second edition of the competition scheduled to hold in Warri, Delta State, later this year. Addressing a news conference recently in the oil city, National Coordinator, Center For Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Ambassador Comrade Mulade Sheriff, disclosed that the competition has been scheduled to hold from November 16 to 30, 2019.

He stressed the importance of the competition which started in 2017 and is also known as the Comrade Mulade Sheriff Peace and Unity Cup, saying: “It is the exemplifying nature of football as a strong tool of oneness, and an abridger of ethnic conflicts, that brought about the birth of the Ijaw/Itsekiri Peace and Unity Cup competition.”

Sheriff, who is a member of the Delta State Football Association Board (DFAB), also noted the competition is aimed at discovering young talents in the riverine communities of the state.

He said that the competition will focus on building peaceful coexistence and promoting unity among Ijaw, Itsekiri and Ilaje people in Warri and environs while attention will also be on young players with exceptional talents.

According to him, “The communities will have to pick younger players to represent them because African Grassroots Football Development team will be on ground to select the best players.” He said they should therefore not go out of their communities to hire players, so that gifted youths in the riverine areas can be discovered.

Sheriff warned against winning at all costs, which he said has badly destroyed football at the local and national levels in Nigeria.

He disclosed that this year’s competition would hold in two venues to give a sense of belonging to the three tribes, with one venue each in Itsekiri and Ijaw towns to further cement the relationship among them. He noted that this year’s event would be played on a knockout basis featuring teams from Ijaw, Itsekiri and Ileja communities within Warri and its environs.

Meanwhile, Comrade Sheriff has appealed to well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to partner with CEPEJ in the sponsorship of the Ijaw/Itsekiri Peace & Unity Cup so as to help promote peaceful coexistence, build bridges of unity, attract development and create enabling environment for Deltans, particularly multi-national oil and gas companies operating within the area.

“Partnership will make the competition bigger and more laudable,” Sheriff stated.

•Photo shows Ijaw/Itsekeri Peace and Unity Cup promoter, Ambassador Comrade Mulade Sheriff

Source Daily Sports

Posted July 22, 2019

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