Delta State Government said the incident at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, on Thursday, was an accident caused by the misalignment of the crane by its operator and not the case of the use of substandard building materials.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who spoke at the venue of the incident, clarified that the collapse was not due to the use of substandard materials as being erroneously reported by a section of the media.
Aniagwu, who confirmed that there was no loss of life in the Asaba sports Complex incident, added that it was the misalignment of the crane that led to the heavy-duty equipment crashing on the wall in one of the floors of a two-storey building being constructed in the stadium complex.
According to Aniagwu, contrary to reports of loss of lives, only one person sustained minor injury and has since been treated while other workers have returned to site.
He said the contractor had assured that the crashed wall would be fixed within 48 hours.
“Right behind me is the premises of the indoor sports hall under construction at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
“The accident was caused by the crane operator who couldn’t properly align the lift while trying to take up some very heavy duty equipment up the particular floor and it fell on the wall which led to a crash of a part of the wall.
“One person sustained minor injury and has since been treated and workers have returned to work. The workers are very much on site and we are moving with speed.
“The unconfirmed reports of loss of life is not true and anybody saying the Stephen Keshi Stadium has come crashing down is also peddling the wrong information.
“As a matter of fact, the stadium is undergoing some renovation work ahead of the National Sports Festival.
“The contractor has assured us that in less than 48 hours, the damaged wall from the misalignment of the crane would be fixed,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the general public to discountenance any report on the loss of life on account of the minor accident at the construction site.
Meanwhile, Journalists were beaten and thrown out of the stadium…
Meanwhile, Vanguard reports that the first team of journalists including Paul Osuyi of the Sun, Monday Osayande of Guardian and Amaechi Okwara of Blueprint, who went to access the level of damage, were beaten up and bundled out of the stadium on the orders of the Chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, Mr. Tonobok Okowa.
Mr. Okowa, who doubles as Co-Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the festival tagged Asaba 2022, reportedly ordered boys around to confiscate the working tools of the journalists.
The boys, who were initially reluctant to carry out the order, forcefully took out the reporters after manhandling them.
“Take them out of this place. Journalists are not needed. Are they still here? Collect their gadgets and bundle them out of here,” Okowa roared.
At the time of filing this report, top government officials were seen moving in and out of the stadium.
First Collapse in 2018
Brandpowerng recalls that in 2018, a water tank fell inside the then-newly renovated stadium collapsed and fell on some vehicles
Eyewitnesses said that the iron frame supporting the tank which supplies water to the swimming pool in the stadium gave way, causing the tank to fall and destroy property.
The incident then was also just days after the Stephen Keshi stadium was inaugurated for the then 21st Africa Senior Athletics Championship.
