Olu of Warri Launches Unity Games to Strengthen Peace Among Communities
The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has inaugurated the maiden edition of the Warri Unity Games, using sports as a platform to promote peace, friendship and unity among communities in the Warri area.
The maiden edition was held at the Federal Government College, Warri, as part of activities marking the fifth coronation anniversary of Ogiame Atuwatse III. The monarch said the Games would become an annual event, holding on the first Saturday of his coronation anniversary week.
Atuwatse III said the initiative was created to bring the different ethnic groups in Warri closer and encourage them to look beyond old divisions, suspicion and past conflicts.
He recalled that a similar carnival organised during the reign of his father, the late Ogiame Atuwatse II, ended in violence in the early 1990s, leaving consequences from which Warri had yet to fully recover.
The Olu said the new initiative was an effort to ensure that history does not repeat itself, stressing that his reign would continue to promote peace, unity, progress and prosperity.
The competition brought together participants from different ethnic groups, including the Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko and Bini communities, who competed in sporting events such as football, relay races, tug-of-war and paintball.
At the end of the competition, Team Ijaw emerged overall winner and received ₦10 million, while Team Urhobo finished second with ₦5 million. Team Itsekiri came third and went home with ₦3 million.
The event was attended by the Olori of Warri, Ivie Atuwatse III; the Obi of Aboh Kingdom, Gregory Nnamdi Oputa III; the Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom, Kingsley Emakpo Orereh; and Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, among other dignitaries.
With the Warri Unity Games now established as an annual event, the Olu hopes sport will become a lasting bridge between communities and help replace old divisions with friendship, cooperation and peaceful coexistence.