Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, a former Presidential Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has promised to build a Memorial Viewing Centre in commemoration of those who died at the tragic electrocution incident in Calabar.
According to the Commissioner of police in the state, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, seven persons died on Thursday night in the electrocution tragedy while 11 others are currently hospitalized at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
The incident happened at around 9.30 pm at Nyagasang area of Atimbo in Calabar Municipality local government area of the state while football lovers were watching a Europa League match between Manchester United and Anderlecht.
Ita-Giwa said she was shocked on hearing the news that some persons have died while others sustained injuries when a high tension cable fall on the roof of the viewing centre.
According to her, sport is one of the activities that keeps the youths off crime, adding that the incident is pathetic because the deceased had left behind their loved ones.
“The youths are unemployed, they don’t have any form of relaxation. It is sad to hear that they died while expressing their love for football.
“I am a mother, I feel pained on sighting the viewing centre because when you imagine that these lovely people died after paying N50 to watch a single game is very pathetic.
“We are going to take a tour of most of the communities to ensure that viewing centres are far from high tension cables because we can’t take away football from the youths.
“As a way to commiserate with the deceased and victims of the incident, I will build a standard viewing centre for the youths of this community,’’ she assured.
Ita-giwa, who led other women under the aegis of `Mothers of Efik Kingdom’ on the visit, promised that the group would work closely with relatives of the deceased to ensure that they are well catered for.
According to her, the tragedy that has befallen the state needs national and international supports, hence the need for the relevant agencies to wade in.
Ita-Giwa, who laid a wreath at the site of the viewing centre, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for commiserating with the state government and members of the victims’ families.
Responding, Chairman of Nyagasang community, Mr Emmanuel Umoh, thanked Ita-Giwa for her kind gesture.
Umoh said that the tragic incident had thrown the whole community into mourning, adding that elders of the community would give her a land to build the viewing centre.
