Peace advocate and environmentalist, Comrade (Chief) Sheriff Mulade, has urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to take urgent steps to address the rising tension among the Urhobo, Itsekiri, and Ijaw ethnic groups in the Warri Federal Constituency. He warned that failure to act promptly could allow the situation to escalate into a full-blown crisis.
Mulade’s appeal follows reports of a face-off between Itsekiri and Ijaw youths after banners marking the 10th coronation anniversary of the Pere Ama-Okosuwei of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Monbene III, were allegedly removed from strategic locations in Warri Metropolis on Tuesday.
Describing the development as worrisome, the United Nations Peace Ambassador linked the renewed unrest to the recent ward delineation exercise carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He therefore called on the governor to convene a dialogue with traditional rulers and community leaders to foster peace and unity in the area.
“The Governor should, if necessary, come down to Warri and hold a town hall meeting with all relevant stakeholders. Government belongs to everyone, and dialogue is critical at this point,” Mulade said.
He further tasked security agencies to act swiftly and professionally to prevent the situation from worsening. “Security personnel must not allow themselves to be used to advance selfish interests. Their role is to protect peace and stability, not to fuel divisions,” he cautioned.
Mulade also appealed to traditional rulers to call their subjects to order, stressing that “peace is always better than violence.” He urged the youths to avoid actions that could undermine the state’s developmental projects and scare away investors.
“Delta State has enjoyed relative peace, which has allowed infrastructural projects to progress. Any crisis would stall these efforts, and that is something we cannot afford,” he warned.
The Gbaramatu Kingdom leader further called on INEC to urgently resolve the outstanding ward delineation issues in Warri Federal Constituency, which he identified as the root cause of the latest round of ethnic tension.
“The INEC and the federal government must be neutral and comply with the Supreme Court judgment to finally close this matter. Only then can we put these recurring tensions behind us,” Mulade advised.
