Warri NUJ Press Week: Amb. Igali Arrives Delta, Advocates for Unity Among Niger Deltans
All is now set for the 2022 Press Week Lecture/Award ceremony of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents’ Chapel
holding today,Wednesday 23rd March 2022.
Ambassador Godknows Igali is expected to chair the event holding at the Casa De Pedro Hotel along Refinery Road, Effurun, Delta State
By Success Okuchimeya me
Igali was received by a team of journalists led by the Chairman of Warri NUJ, Comrade Victor Okpomor, while addressing journalists at the Osubi Airport upon his arrival from Abuja, the nation capital, called for unity among the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region in order to develope the region.
Igali, who is the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), posited that Niger Delta like other regions of the country needs to unite irrespective of the ethnic nationalities in order to move the region forward.
He noted that one of the greatest undoings of the Niger Delta people is the absence of unity among the various tribes in the region.
The former Nigerian ambassador to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, however, added that it was the disunity among the people of the region that necessitated the formation of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
“We are a people who have lived together for thousands of years and our forefathers never fought. There is nowhere in the history books that shows that the Ijaws were fighting themselves or Itsekiri fighting Urhobos or Isoko were fighting Urhobos or Ijaws were fighting Itsekiris.
“There were no tribal wars. There were little skirmishes between communities over fishing unlike the Yoruba who fought for about hundred years.
The point I am trying to make is that in other geopolitical zones of the country there are even deeper diversities in midst of bigger ethnic group. In the Niger Delta on the contrary, we have a closer history among ourselves.
“Our forefathers lived in peace but with modernism, oil industries where everyone is laying claim to land and politics we now became diverse with various divisions. But having said that, there is always a new day. This was the basis we set up the Pan Niger Delta Forum to bring everyone together so that when there’s time speak, we can speak with one voice as Niger Delta”, he added.
The Warri NUJ Press Week/Award ceremony has the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and a former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi as Special Guests of Honour.
The event will feature presentation of awards and recognitions of some distinguished personalities and organisations including a posthumous award on the former Zonal Medical Director, Central Hospital, Warri, late Dr. Toju Eresanara.
Also to be honoured at the ceremony is the Rector of the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Prof. Emmanuel Ogujor; Matrix Energy Group, Dr. Michael Tidi, Chairman, Warri South Local Government Area; and Chief (Hon.) Thomas Ereyitomi, member representing Warri Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.