By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
A leading Niger Delta advocacy group, the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has convened a high-level multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at de-escalating recurring tensions among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri, Delta State.
The peacebuilding roundtable, held at King George Hall in Warri South Local Government Area, brought together community leaders, security agencies, market traders, civil society organisations, and representatives of various ethnic groups resident across Warri Federal Constituency.
Communities represented included Okere Urhobo Kingdom, Itsekiri Communities, Agbarha-Warri Kingdom, and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, among others. Representatives of the Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Kogi-Igala and Isoko communities were also present.
Security personnel at the event included SP Musa Yau-Kangiwa, DPO ‘A’ Division, Warri; ASP Hezekiah Okpabi (representing ‘B’ Division); and ASP Obehi Idiake, Station Officer, ‘A’ Division. Civil society leaders included Professor Andrew Agboro, Chairman, Delta State Civil Society Organisations, and Sylvester Okoh, Chairman, Warri Peace Community Support Initiative.
Addressing participants, CEPEJ National Coordinator, Comrade Dr Sheriff Mulade, emphasised that the initiative aligns with the organisation’s sustained advocacy for durable peace in Warri and surrounding areas.
“In our contemporary society, there are two major triggers of war: conflict investors and conflict beneficiaries. Eliminating conflicts is a difficult challenge, but we can de-escalate tensions and make conflict unattractive,” Dr Mulade stated.
He stressed the need to consolidate existing harmony in Warri Federal Constituency, expressing appreciation to market women and non-indigenous groups for their participation.
“The Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo of Warri are one. We have lived in peace before now. Warri is our own, and the essence of peace is to consolidate and strengthen it,” he added.
Dr Austin Onuoha of the National Peace Academy, Abuja, delivered the keynote address, urging all ethnic groups to embrace unity and collective responsibility as the foundation for lasting peace.
Highlights of the event included a unity drama performance promoting coexistence, and the inauguration of a 20-member Warri Indigenes and Residents Peacebuilding Committee (WIRPC), drawn from various ethnic nationalities including non-indigenes.
The committee is mandated to deepen stakeholder engagement, de-escalate tensions, sustain dialogue, and reinforce peaceful practices across communities over a one-year period.
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