Two times in six months, facilities in the newly completed and inaugurated Stephen Keshi Stadium Complex, Asaba, have collapsed, causing critics of the incumbent administration in the state led by
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, to question the quality of job done by the contractor of the project.
The first was the collapse of a big overhead water tank near the swimming pool of the stadium, which ended up destroying vehicles that were under the tank. The second and the most recent is the collapse of the score board in the stadium complex. The good news, however, is that God averted tragedies as none of the incidents led to loss of life.
Construction work had begun in the stadium years ago but was abandoned by the previous administration until incumbent Gov Okowa, committed huge sum of money and completed the construction of the stadium mid last year, enabling the state to host the 21st edition of the African Senior Atheletics Championship last August.
The stadium after the championship has continued to host other sporting events and other festivities just as stadium was inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday, November 19, 2018.
The sporting events which steadily hold at the stadium showcased Governor Okowa as a sports loving governor and to this end, he also received award from sports authorities and organisations for his commitment to the development of sports.
However, the collapse of structures at the stadium, tend to be painting the governor’s administration in a bad light as his efforts seem to be rubbished.
Many have attributed the collapse of the score board to poor quality job done by the contractor that handled the construction of the state.
BDSUNDAY also learnt that the score board collapsed at about 7pm during a heavy wind and light showers on Monday, January 4, but that there were no casualty recorded during the incident.
One of the sources who witnessed the incident claimed: “I was just at the opposite side of the stadium when I suddenly heard a sound. I thought
it was the building from the top of the stadium and I discovered that it was the score board that fell during that heavy wind. But we thank God that nobody was injured”.
Some participants at the championship hosted in August last year, had complained of the quality of some of the facilities at the stadium.
The big overhead water tank at the stadium collapsed during the 2018 African Senior Athletics Championships hosted by the state with the state government promising that investigation would be carried out to unravel the cause of the collapse.
Shortly after the state’s executive (exco) meeting held on Tuesday, the state commissioner for information, Patrick Ukah, told newsmen in Asaba, that the heavy wind predicted across the country by the NiMeT caused the collapse of the score board at the stadium.
He said the score board destroyed part of the stadium but gave thanks to God that no life was lost.
While saying that the situation was receiving attention, Ukah explained that damaged part of the complex would be fixed by the contractor as the project have not been handed over to the state government.
Mercy Enoch, Asaba
