Warri South LG boss flays proponents of ‘Waado City,’ over alleged planned protest

Chairman of Warri South Local Government  Area, Delta State, Dr Michael Tidi, on Tuesday flayed proponents of “Waado City’ over their alleged planned protest purportedly planned to take place  last Friday.

Tidi made this statement at Wellington Hotel, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, during the Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders’ Summit organised by Warri Multipurpose Stakeholders’ Platform (MSP) in collaboration with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Proponents of Waado City have been clamouring for the creation of an Urhobo mega city from Warri  as a way of resolving the age-long controversy over the ownership of Warri.

But Tidi, who was the chairman  on  the occasion during his opening remarks, said the idea would cause another round of crisis in Warri.

He said there was concerted effort to bring those behind the creation of the group to book, but appealed to them to shelve their planned protest.

He commended the organisers of the Itsekiri Leaders’ Summit for organising the programme, saying that it was timely as there was no better time to preach peace between the two ethnic groups than now.

While reminiscing on underdevelopment caused by the last crisis between the Ijaws and the Itsekiris in Warri, Tidi said that it was unthinkable for anyone to fan the embers of disunity in Warri.

He added that as the chief security officer of Warri South Local Government Area, he was ready to do anything to promote peace in the council area.

“We are living in a world where the absence of peace is of great concern. Today, the Ijaws and the Itsekiris are living as one, thanks to all those who worked hard to achieve this. But it breaks my heart that some people who were  young when the Warri crisis was ongoing  are still talking about issues that will bring about disunity.

“If not for the painstaking effort put up by the Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) and other NGOs, I will not be standing here talking to you today. So, I want to commend the efforts of all those who have been in the forefront of championing peace in this Warri.

“But today, it appears that that effort is about to be lost because of what I call introduction of conflict entrepreneurs. As I speak to you today, there are some groups of young men who are presently emphasising on those things that divide us.

“I am referring to Waado City group, which, if care is not taking, the painstaking effort of the likes of Africa, Chief Mulade, and others would be lost if their planned protest sails through.

“Today, some group of persons who are sitting in the comfort of their homes in Lagos, Abuja and of course, outside the country, just because they have internet, they are presently pushing for what might cause crisis in Warri.

“The security information I have at my disposal is that they are planning to embark on a protest on the 1st of October this year.

“We all know that no sane youth will sit down and watch such protest take place in their locality,” the Warri South council chairman said.

He therefore appealed to the group to shelve its planned protest and embrace peace, warning that the security agents will deal ruthlessly with anyone trying to disrupt the existing peace in the three Warris.

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