A huge crisis was warded-off on Thursday at the ongoing 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba, Delta State when the supports of an overhead steel water tank gave way, leading to its collapse. Though the effects of the collapse were quite severe, no lives were lost, save the properties destroyed by the tank’s weight.
According to eyewitnesses, the unforeseen collapse of the steel tank which could possibly be as a result of the use of poor building materials left two cars and other unmentioned properties damaged.
In the intervening period of time, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee and former President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba accepted responsibility for slow organization and haphazard planning for the championship. This, according to him, was due to the short time frame the LOC had to prepare for the event.
Following this, certain travel logistics were also not appropriately catered for. This left some foreign athletes stranded for some time at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
“Today, all the athletes are here and we have adjusted the programmes to accommodate all; no one will be shut out. Other cities like Lagos turned down the hosting, so I have to talk to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to bring the competition to Asaba in order not to deny Nigeria the hosting right,” Ogba told News Agency of Nigeria.
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