Warri Unity Games Will Promote Peace, Ethnic Harmony – Olu of Warri

The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, has said the newly inaugurated Warri Unity Games will serve as a platform for strengthening peace, unity and mutual understanding among the diverse ethnic groups in Warri and Delta State.

The monarch stated this while speaking at the maiden edition of the Warri Unity Games held at the Federal Government College, Warri.

He said the initiative was founded on the belief that the people of Warri and its surrounding communities had far more in common than what divided them, stressing that unity was essential to achieving collective progress and prosperity.

According to the Olu, the Games will become an annual event, held on the first Saturday of his coronation anniversary week.

He explained that the initiative was designed not merely to preach peace but to actively promote friendship, cooperation and peaceful coexistence among residents of Warri.

Ogiame Atuwatse III recalled that a similar carnival organised during the reign of his father, the late Ogiame Atuwatse II, in the early 1990s was overshadowed by violence and conflict.
He noted that the development deprived Warri of the opportunity to build a nationally celebrated cultural event capable of bringing people together.

Determined to prevent a recurrence of the past, the monarch said his reign would remain focused on promoting unity, peace, progress and prosperity.

He disclosed that the palace had taken deliberate steps to heal longstanding divisions among neighbouring communities, including officially prohibiting the use of derogatory terms against other ethnic groups.

The Olu said such expressions had no place in the kingdom, urging the people to abandon old grievances and concentrate on building a shared future based on mutual respect.

He called on communities to regard one another as allies and partners rather than rivals, stressing that meaningful development could not be achieved through suspicion, hatred or domination.

Ogiame Atuwatse III further urged stakeholders to respect the dignity of every individual and embrace cooperation across ethnic boundaries.

He appealed to residents to reject violence and channel their energy towards peaceful and productive activities, while encouraging those with genuine grievances to seek redress through lawful means.

The monarch expressed optimism that the palace’s reconciliation efforts would receive the support of all stakeholders, stressing that both the streets and hearts of Warri should become spaces for building lasting peace rather than conflict.