As Nigerians continue to mourn the shocking demise of the football
fans who were electrocuted at a viewing centre at Nyaghassang Community,
Calabar Municipality of Cross River State on Thursday night while
watching the return leg match between Manchester United and Anderlecht
in the UEFA Europa league, two women saturday lamented that they did
everything to prevent their husbands from going to the viewing centre on
the ill-fated day.
One of the women, Mrs. Elizabeth Alex Samuel, a mother of a year-old
child, who is now a widow as a result of the incident said, if her late
husband, Mr. Samuel, had taken to her constant advice, and warning,
perhaps he wouldn’t have died at the viewing centre that fateful night.
The woman, who was in a sober mood when she narrated her ordeal, said
after the incident happened, her husband was among those evacuated to
the hospital, but she learnt the following day that he was among those
who died.
Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Samuel who was carrying her child said,
“Every day I warned him not to watch football in that viewing centre.
That night, he went to watch football. The next thing I heard shouting
and they said people have died. I was waiting I did not see him. I heard
they had rushed him to the hospital. I was crying throughout. It was
yesterday (Friday) they came and told me that my husband was dead”.
On a similar note, another woman who gave her name as Mary Okon said
her husband, Mr. Emmanuel Okon, lost his life to the incident. Mary said
she tried to stop her late husband from going to the viewing centre
that night because she wanted him to eat, and stay at home with the
family.
She said her late husband, who was a Manchester United fan, left to
watch the match despite her asking him to stay back, and eat the food
she was preparing.
“I was boiling rice for him and then he decided to go and watch the
match. I told him to stay back and eat but he said I should come and
meet him when it was ready. When the incident happened I went there to
look for him and when I found him he was not moving. There were bodies
lying on the floor everywhere. I carried him with the help of his
nephew, but he was not responding. His body was cold. With the help of a
neighbour who is a taxi man, we carried him to the hospital where we
were told he was dead,” she said, while sobbing.
Also speaking, Godswill Okon, a nephew to the late woman’s husband
said: “That evening, me and my uncle were just joking about the match.
He is a Man U fan and I am a Chelsea fan. So, we were playfully arguing,
and I told him Man U will lose. He said no way that they would win. So,
when it was time for the match, he called me to go with him and watch,
but I felt somehow and decided not to go.
“Normally, I would have been there to watch the game, but I suddenly
did not feel too well. People were even surprised that I did not go to
watch. It was while we were at home that we heard the noise, and we went
out; and I got there and saw my uncle dead. My uncle was a very loving
and kind person. He was the one who was taking care of me. My school
fees, accommodation, feeding, clothes, everything. I don’t know what I
would do now that he is gone. Who would come to our help?”, he lamented.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu
Dogara yesterday called for investigation into the unfortunate incident
which led to the death of football fans in the Calabar viewing centre.
Dogara, who expressed sadness over the development, however, condoled
with the families of those who lost their lives as well as those who
survived the incident, and the people and government of the state.
The police had confirmed that no fewer than seven persons watching
the Europa League match between Manchester United and Anderlecht
football clubs died by electrocution on Thursday.
However, Dogara, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on
media and publicity, Turaki Hassan, said: “My heart goes out to the
families of football fans who died in the incident at the viewing
centre. At this moment, my thoughts and prayers are with the affected
families, survivors, and the government and good people of Cross River
state following this sad incident.
“It is my ardent hope that survivors are receiving adequate care, and
that the state government is taking the necessary steps to avoid a
recurrence of such a sad incident”, the Speaker said, and urged the
state government to conduct a thorough investigation into the
circumstances surrounding the incident.
Also, former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has lamented
over the tragic death of the soccer fans, who were electrocuted at the
viewing centre in Calabar.
In a condolence message to the Governor of Cross River state, Senator
Ben Ayade, Senator Mark said it was sad that such young people met
their untimely deaths while watching a game that should ordinarily bring
joy and excitement to them. He described the incident as one tragedy
too many.
“The death of over 30 soccer fans in one incident is a huge loss to
the nation. It is more tragic because these were promising Nigerians who
looked forward to a rewarding future. They represented the future
dreams of our father land. They were the ready hands on which our future
lies. But we are incapable of questioning the will of the Almighty. May
God grant them eternal rest”, Mark said, in a statement issued by his
media aide, Mr. Paul Mumeh.
Mark suggested that public utility providers should take
precautionary measures to avoid future re-occurrence. In spite of the
tragedy, he believes that “soccer is a unifying tool between and among
Nigerians that must of a necessity be promoted and encouraged in our
society”.
Meanwhile, former Special Adviser to the President on National
Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa yesterday promised to build a
standard viewing centre at Nyaghassang Community, Calabar Municipality
in memory of people who died at the viewing centre in the community.
Ita-Giwa said she was making the promise on behalf of mothers of the
Efik Kingdom, whom she led to visit the victims of the viewing centre
tragedy. She put the blame of the incident on those she described as the
political class, saying the sad event was an indictment on them.
“We as mothers of the Efik Kingdom feel the pains of the mothers,
wives and children of those who died here. We are here to sympathise and
commiserate with them. We appreciate the President for showing sympathy
for what has happened. We are not going to stop there and let this
slide. We are going to set up a help line with designated help lines to
help victims of the incident.
“We will build a viewing centre to commemorate the people that died
here. We call on football lovers, football stars, Manchester United to
come and help government to alleviate the problems of the victims.
“What shocked me when I got here was the state of the place where
people paid N50 to come and watch football. I am here as a mother but I
would not also deny the fact the fact that I am a politician. So these
are the kind of things I see as a politician that make me feel very
guilty that the people are not living well in this country, because
under normal circumstances these are some of the things a representative
should provide. These are some of the things that keep the boys off
crime.
“Nigerians are great football enthusiasts. We will try to forestall
future occurrences to see the state of other viewing centres to prevent
further loss of lives. As mothers, we will do our best to alleviate the
pains of the people. We share the pains. We urge football lovers, don’t
allow this make you lose your interest in football; don’t let it wane
your passion for football,” Ita-Giwa said.
Responding, the secretary of the Nyaghassang Community, Iso Bassey
Edim, thanked Ita-Giwa and the Efik mothers for the gesture. Edim said
the community was working towards completing the exact figure of victims
of the incident.
No fewer than seven people were officially pronounced dead following
the collapse of a high tension cable on the roof of a football viewing
centre, where football fans were watching the Manchester United versus
Anderlecht return leg match of the UEFA Europa league.
Also, the Commissioner representing Cross River on the Board of the
Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), Mr. Sylvester Nsa has
commiserated with families of the electrocuted victims. In a press
statement he issued in Calabar, Nsa described the incident as
unfortunate, noting that the loss of lives under such circumstance was
regrettable.
The commissioner commiserated with the bereaved families while
wishing the injured speedy recovery. He, however advised the Town
Planning department and other regulatory agencies in Cross River not to
approve the construction of houses under high tension cable.
Nsa said houses already constructed under high tension cables should
immediately be demolished by relevant authorities to forestall future
occurrence of such unfortunate incidents.
Also, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) says
it has taken the photographic data of the affected area of Nyagasang
community where the electrocution tragedy occurred.