From Yakubu Wuyep, Jos
The Igbo Community in Plateau State has revived its football league tournament as part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence, youth development and social cohesion in the state.
The President-General of the Igbo Community in Plateau, Chief Chidi Onah, disclosed this on Sunday at the semi-final of the tournament held at St. John Private School, opposite Jankwano, in Jos North LGA.
Onah said the tournament, which featured 16 teams drawn from Igbo and non-Igbo communities, was organized to revamp the historic 1986 Igbo League that produced local and national football talents.
According to him, the competition is aimed at harnessing youth potential, reducing crime and criminality, and fostering dialogue and trust among diverse communities in Plateau State.
He noted that the initiative aligns with reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts in the state, by rebuilding inter-community relations and strengthening youth-led activities that promote unity.
Speaking at the event, Onah encouraged players and spectators to become ambassadors of peace and to shun hate speech, tribalism and violence, stressing that football remains a powerful tool for unity.
“Football brings people together. It promotes teamwork, friendship and a healthy mind and body. Choosing to remain a team player regardless of tribe is how we will end tribalism,” he said.
He added that people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds across the 17 LGAs of the state had come together through sports to celebrate peace.
Onah also disclosed that the Chairman of the Plateau State Football Association, Dr Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, was present at the kick-off of the tournament held at the Zaria Road Stadium.
He expressed hope that the tournament would encourage greater cohesion, discover new talents, and spread the message of tolerance and lasting peace in Plateau and Nigeria as a whole.