CHIEF MULADE UNVEILS JERSEY FOR IJAW/ITSEKIRI PEACE AND UNITY FOOTBALL TOURNY 

As the third edition of the Ijaw/Itsekiri Peace and Unity Football Tournament, which is scheduled to kick-off on Wednesday, 16 November 2022 draws close, the organiser of the tourny, the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, through its National Coordinator Chief Sheriff Mulade has unveiled the Local Organizing Committee (LOC)'s Jersey for the tourny.

The unveiling took place on Wednesday, 5th October 2022 at the Africa for Peace Center, CEPEJ's head office in Ugolo-Okpe near Warri, Delta State.

The tournament which is organised as part of the activities to mark this year's International Day of Tolerance in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, is to celebrate the age-long peaceful relationship between the Ijaw and the Itsekiri ethnic nationalities in the three Warri LGAs of Delta State, attract socio-economic development, as well as discover football talents at the grassroot level in Warri and other parts of Delta State.

According to the Chief Mulade, the venues of the tournament chosen are Benikrukru community in Gbaramatu Kingdom and Ugborodo community, both in the Warri South West LGA. 

He said: "The venues were selected strategically: Benikrukru is an Ijaw community, while Ugborodo is an Itsekiri community. This is to show to the world that both ethnic groups are living in peace and unity, and it will also enable both ethnic groups appreciate the importance of peace and tolerance and work towards sustaining the peaceful coexistence between the two ethnic groups," he added.

The Ijaw/Itesekiri Peace and Unity Football Tournament, a biannual football competition organized by CEPEJ, is sponsored by Chief Mulade, a native of Gbaramatu Kingdom and the custodian to the Ibe-Sorimowei traditional title in the kingdom. 

Other highlights of the unveiling of the LOC Jersey for the tournament were the presentation of the jerseys to the committee members by the National Coordinator of CEPEJ, and the group entering into a photograph session. The event was well attended by the local organizing committee, LOC members and other peacebuilding organizations, and supporters.

Earlier, a 15-member committee were inaugurated by the National Coordinator of CEPEJ "to help coordinate, organize, and arrange" the 3rd edition of the Ijaw/Itsekiri Peace and Unity Football Tournament 2022 which kicks-off Wednesday, 16 November 2022 and will climax on Saturday, 3rd December 2022