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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
An Abuja-based philanthropist, Lawrence Emareyo has initiated a football competition for warring communities in Ughelli area of Delta State with a view to ensuring lasting peace in the area.
Tagged ‘Chief Lawrence Emareyo Community Peace Cup’, the winner of the 30-day football fiesta with 20 participating communities, is expected to pocket the prize money of N1 million.
Age-long inter-communal clashes have continue to claims lives and property in Ekiugbo, Otor-Iwhereko, Owhawha, Okwagbe among others.
Emareyo said he has decided to organise the event out of his love for Urhobo nation, saying that peace was paramount to the development of any society.
He said football was one thing that brings people together and promote peace.
“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,” he stated.
In their separate remarks, the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, Wilson Ojakovo, Oharisi III, and the executive chairman of Ughelli North local government council, Mr. Godwin Adode both commended Emareyo for putting the competition together.
