Tidi Blasts Proponents Of ‘Waado City’, Says They Are Propagating Divisions In Warri

Chairman of Warri South Local Government Council Area, in Delta State, Dr Michael Tidi, on Thursday lambasted proponents of “Waado City’ over their rumoured planned protest purportedly scheduled to take place on the 1st of October, 2021.

Tidi made spoke in Warri on Thursday during the Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders’ Summit organized by Warri Multipurpose Stakeholders Platform (MSP) in collaboration with other Non-governmental Organizations.

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

But Tidi, chairman of the occasion, during his opening remarks, said this will cause another round of crisis in Warri.

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

He commended the organizers of the Itsekiri leaders’ Summit for organizing the program, saying that it was timely as there was no 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 persons who were very young when the Warri crisis was going on are still talking about issues that will bring about disunity.

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“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 group of young men who are presently emphasizing 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 their planned protest and embrace peace, warning that security agents will deal ruthlessly with anyone trying to disrupt the existing peace in the three Warris.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on leaders of this summit that as leaders we must be responsive. I want to plead with us to work with the local government and the security agencies to unravel those behind this so called Waado City.

“The proponents of this so called Waado City must be persuaded to drop this their so called agitation.

“Warri as we all know is on the world map. Some group of persons just woke up in the morning and they have decided to use the internet to emphasize those things that will bring division amongst us. Some of us who are in privileged position, will not sit down and do nothing,” Tidi added.

He assured that they were currently working round the clock to bring some of those persons to book, but pleaded with all leaders to talk to their youths not to heat up the polity.

He lamented that Warri was yet to come out from the impact of the unfortunate Warri crisis, stressing that the internally generated revenue of Warri has dwindled as most International Oil Companies have left Warri.

He appealed to all to continue to emphasize on peace, fairness and justice in Warri and environment, stressing that a peaceful environment was what was needed for development to strive.