By SouthernVoicenews,
…Engage In Football Competition
In order to forestall peace and unity among communities in Urhobo land including Ughelli North and South local government areas of Delta state, a philanthropist, Chief Lawrence Emareyo has kick-started the process of ensuring lasting solution through the ‘Chief Lawrence Emareyo Community Peace Cup’.
The football event which kick on Ssturday, June 2, 2022 with an opening match between Oteri and Emeragha communities at the Ughelli General field is targeted at promoting peace between waring communities like Ekuigbo and Otor-Iwhereko in Ughelli North and Okwagbe and Owhawha in Ughelli South local government area.
It could be recalled that about a year ago, a boundary dispute between Owhawha and Okwagbe communities in Ughelli South Local Government claimed over 7 lives, while a tussle for the ownership of the Ughelli main market between Ekuigbo and Otor-Iwhereko communities has also claimed about 5 lives.
The peace cup competition will feature 20 registered Urhobo communities that will wrestle for the grand prize of N1 million with the event spanning through a period of 30 days.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the competition, the host, Lawrence Emareyo said, he has decided to put the competition together out of his love for the Urhobo nation and not because he was having enough money to throw away.
He pointed that peace was paramount to the development of any society as it was the first thing investors lookout for before investing in any place, adding that football was one thing that bring people together and promote peace.
He said, “I am from the soil here, from Ughelli, I grew up here and have always enjoyed peace here. Some of the communities around, for instance, Ekuigbo and Otor-Iwhereko, the crisis that do come up everytime instigated this competition.
“I live in Abuja but I took it upon myself that the only way to try to bring peace is to organize a competition like this. Football is a game that does not know enemy, everybody come together to play and I believe at the end of this competition that we have started, Ekuigbo and Otor-Iwhereko which are the people we are targeting will have peace.
“This is the first edition of the competition, it is a continuous process, the youths are my target and with tournament like this we will be able to identify talents and impact on them, the good ones that we will see among them, we will pick them and take them to the next level. I believe with this initiative gradually we are going to take them off the street, one by one and it will also dissuade their minds from anti social vices.”
Emareyo further advised the youths to continue to give peace a chance, noting that, there was nowhere violence have ever helped in solving problems.
In their seperate remarks, the Monarch of Ughelli Kingdom, Wilson Ojakovo, Oharisi III, the Ovie of Ughelli and the Chairman of Ughelli North local government council, Mr. Godwin Adode both commended Lawrence Emareyo for putting the competition together.
Oharisi who was represented by Chief Sunday Ogheneovo, the ‘Izomo’ of Ughelli Kingdom, said that it was not the absence of war that guarantees peace but by ensuring that peoples’ basic needs are provided for.
Adode who was represented by the Secretary to the Ughelli North local government, Felix Oderhowho called for more similar gestures from well to do individuals in the society geared towards promoting peace in the local governments.