Florence Ita-Giwa, a former senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District, has promised to build a standard viewing center at Nyaghassang Community, Calabar Municipality in memory of those who died while watching a live football match at the viewing center in the community.
Ita-Giwa, a former special adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly Matters, said her assurances were on behalf of “Concerned Mothers of the Efik Kingdom” who accompanied her on a visit to victims of the tragedy.
She said that the incident was an indictment on those she described as the political class.
She said: “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 sympathize 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 helpline with designated help lines to help victims of the incident.
“We will build a viewing center to commemorate the people that died here. We call on football lovers, football stars, Manchester United to come and help the 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 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.”
According to her, “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 centers 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 to make you lose your interest in football; don’t let it wane your passion for football.”
She also said that she had reached out to several philanthropists, including Arsenal Football Club of London legend, Nwankwo Kanu, to seek ways to assist victims of the electrocution.
According to her, Kanu is expected to organize an All-Star Football match to raise funds for victims of the unfortunate Calabar viewing center incident which claimed eight lives in Nyaghassang Community.
He is also expected to raise funds to develop the community where a high-tension cable on the 11KV Feeder, fell on a viewing center on the night of Thursday, April 20, 2017, leading to the unfortunate incident.
Several football lovers were in the building watching a live match broadcast involving host Manchester United FC and visiting Anderlecht FC in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final match.
The structure built with corrugated iron roofing zinc conducted the electricity that electrocuted about eight people while several more sustained various degrees of burns when the live cable fell on it.
Ita-Giwa also spoke with sportswriters in Calabar after leading a candlelight procession and prayer session to commemorate the unfortunate incident.
She said that Kanu would work with other sports legends, professional colleagues and sports administrators for the fundraising match.
More than a thousand members of the Nyaghassang Community wore black tee-shirts with inscriptions
“Rest in Peace Dear Football Enthusiasts” to participate in the procession and prayer session.
The prayer session was co-sponsored by a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Affairs, Pastor Eyo Okpo-Ene.
Ita-Giwa led and coordinated the exercise with other women on behalf of Concerned Mothers of the Efik Kingdom.
She said: “I have spoken to Joseph Yobo and he is ready to also collaborate with Kanu so that they bring their colleagues. Such a profound incident to happen to a community like this is not something we should be quiet and let it just pass by. In civilized communities, when people die for such a cause, you come out to remember that day.
In civilized communities, when people die for such a cause, you come out to remember that day.
“You come out to commiserate with the people. You come out to create activities that would commemorate that day that this thing happened.
“We thought that for innocent people to come and die like that for something they were passionate about, which is football, we should come out and remember that day that it happened and we are overwhelmed by the turnout today.
“We have to start showing love as Nigerians to each other. We have to show compassion to each other.
“If I have a voice to cry to the world to cry to the world to hear what has happened to this innocent people, then I would use that voice to cry out. Like I said, I am expecting Nigerians to come to our aid.
“I also have spoken to John Shittu, Amaju Pinnick and also spoke with Multichoice. They are coming on board to assist us in building the viewing centre and provide television and provide indefinite subscription.
“We are here as mothers and we feel the pain. If this people died watching Manchester United, we would find a way to make sure that Manchester United come here to make their presence felt. We are not going to give up.”
Responding, the secretary of the Nyaghassang Community, Iso Bassey Edim, thanked Ita-Giwa and the Efik mothers for the gesture and assured that the community would compute the exact figure of victims of the incident.
Those who died in the incident were Emmanuel Edet Okon; David John; Ejiofor Chukwuebuka; Elder James Edem Akpan; Miss Blessing Okon Udo; Samuel Edet Sam; Marshall Pius Akpan; and Ekemini Samuel Monday.
