Tough Time Awaits Hooligans, Vandals at Edo 2020
State govt says no fear over coronavirus
Edo State, host of the 20th National Sports Festival starting March 22 have put measures in place to ensure safety of athletes, officials and spectators at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
According to the Chief Electrical Engineer of the contracting firm handling the almost completed complex, Engr. Ben Tobrise, the CCTV and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) measures installed at the Ogbemudia Stadium are capable of fishing out any hooligan from the stands or anywhere around it.
“Both the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) installed here (Ogbemudia Stadium) are capable of pinpointing any particular person or area inside and around the stadium complex. Anyone thinking of coming to the stadium to foment trouble will be fished out,” stressed the chief electrical engineer.
While demonstrating the working of the CCTV at the control room during a recent inspection of the complex, two workers busy with their jobs in the extreme end of the stadium were given close shots to the point that prints on their uniforms were clearly legible to be read by the operators.
“We have eight cameras installed at this stadium. All of them will be recording at the same time with our operators watching from the control room. We can do a playback to check any area of interest.
“Similarly, we are capable of seeing clearly any place or thing five kilometers radius of the stadium from here. With these measures, we can beat our chest to say that everyone coming to Ogbemudia Stadium during the National Sports Festival is assured of his or her safety,” he noted. Interestingly, a police post has been built at the entrance to the stadium to handle cases of infractions at the complex. Yesterday, carpenters were busy with the roofing of the police post while other workers were putting finishing touches to the remaining minor jobs ahead of the opening ceremony to be done by President Muhammadu Buhari. Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has allayed fears concerning the risk of contracting the Coronavirus (COVID 19) during Edo 2020 National Sports Festival. A statement from the Chief Press Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Ebomhiana Musa, said that despite the present outbreak of the virus worldwide, with the scare of it taking on an epidemic scale if left unchecked, only two confirmed case so far in Nigeria with none in Edo State. He stated that based on a risk assessment on the threat of COVID 19, the government has put in place measures to prevent the spread of this viral disease through screening of participants, deployment of well-trained health personnel at all venues, and collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). It also said that in collaboration with the Rapid Response Team of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) with Emergency Operation Centre in the State there was no need to worry. Musa also revealed that the state government has made available hand washing facilities to shore up personal hygiene backed with enlightenment and dissemination of adequate information to the populace to help them identify and report any suspected case of COVID 19.