Calabar Tragedy: ‘We Tried to Stop Our Husbands from Going to the Viewing Centre’

Dogara seeks investigation, as Ita-Giwa pledges viewing centre Mark mourns as NDDC wants houses under high-tension cables demolished

As Nigerians continue to mourn the shocking demise of the football fans who were electrocuted at a viewing centre at Nyaghassang Community, Ca lab ar Municipality of Cross River State on Thursday night while watching the return leg match between Manchester United and Anderlecht in the UE FA Europa league, two women yesterday 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, am other 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 ina so ber mood when she narrated her or deal, 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 Ok on 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, Gods will Ok on, a nephew to the late woman’s husband said: “That evening, me and my uncle were just jo king 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 thereto 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 thereandsawmyuncledead.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.

Dog ar a, who expressed sadness over the development, however, condo led 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, ina statement issued by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Turaki Has san, 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 are warding future. They represented the future dreams of our father land. They were the ready hands on which our future lies. But we are in capable 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 It a-Giwa yesterday promised to build a standard viewing centre at Nyaghassang Community, Ca lab ar 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.