The tragedy of the Post-Sport Festival in Kano

The road tragedy of last Saturday involving 22 members of the Kano state quota launched a ball of pain for the success of the 22nd National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta, in the state of Ogun.

It was said that the horrible accident occurred at noon and about 50 kilometers from the metropolis of Kano, when the vehicle broadcasting the last lot of athletes went to the Daka Tsalle bridge, the area of ​​the local government of Garun Malam in the state of Kano, resulting in the fatal dip. Among the victims there were athletes, medical staff, journalist and coaches.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (Frsc), in its preliminary report, attributed the tragedy to road effort and excessive speed by the driver of the bus. It was also said that the Toyota Coaster Bus had developed mechanical defects along the road that required repairs to Lokoja and Abuja.

What would have been a triumphant return of the state contingent that conquered a total of 29 medals, including six gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze, has turned into a pain of pain for the government and the people of the state of Kano in particular and the entire nation in general. Such calamity has never been testified in the annals of the Festival which was staged in 1973.

A government of the state of Kano hit by pain declared a free day yesterday to cry the victims and also donated N1 million each, as well as food to the families of the deceased. The Governor of the State of Ogun, Dapo Inhabitun, also replied flying to Kano during a visit of condolences and donated n1 million to each family of the deceased.

The tributes poured like a stream by several neighborhoods in all states. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, expressed shock for the tragedy and sentenced with the government and the people of the State of Kano.

He said: “This is a devastating blow for the nation. It gives a shadow on the National Sports Festival, a celebration of units, talent and excellence. It has long been served as a platform to discover and nourish the athletes who bring pride to Nigeria in the national and international phases.”

The president also paid tribute to the victims of the accident, whose dedication and aspirations in their various vocations embodied the resilient Nigerian spirit. He said that the greatest honor that the country could grant them was to adopt concrete measures to prevent such tragedies in the future and improve safety standards through the nation transport system.

Also the former president Muhammadu Buhari, through his media helper, Malam Garba Shehu, also sentenced the government and the people of the State of Kano with families in mourning. He said that the tragic accident had left him devastated as many people did in different parts of the world.

The president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, who declared the festival closed on behalf of President Tinubu, and his deputy, Jbrin Barau, also expressed their heartfelt condolences to the government, the people of the State of Kano and the families of the deceased.

The Nigeria Governors forum (NGF), the forum of the Governors of the Northern States (NSGF), the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), among other groups of sports across the country, has also sent their condolences during the tragic episode. The President of the Governor of the State Ngf and Kwara, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, described the accident as a tragic, while the president of the NSGF and the governor of the State of Gombe, Alhaji Muhammado Inuwa Yahaya, described it as a heartbreaking and painful.

Yahaya said that the entire northern region was pain for the loss of young people and promising athletes who had gone to represent their state and show their talents on a national phase.

He said: “Their exploits at the sports festival made us proud and their premature deaths are a painful reminder of the fragility of life”.

Kano’s tragedy not only pushed the euphoria of one of the well -organized national sports festivals that according to what has been swallowed over n25 billion in a series of two weeks in the background, but also put the commuters that commuters face on the Nigerian highways. Our highways have become attempted slaughter in which unfortunate travelers are massacred with a reckless abandonment by drivers or causes defective and poorly maintained vehicles.

The price we are paying is now a direct consequence of the total collapse of the interstatal railway system. Once there was a lively rail transport system between Kano and Lagos, passing through Abeokuta. The contingents along that corridor that included the states of Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Kwara would comfortably rise on the relatively safe rail transport system and returned to their bases.

Now it has become imperative for the government at all levels, company organizations and sports managers to take insurance coverage for our athletes before, during and immediately after any championships such as the Festival. Even if money cannot replace life, in most of the climates developed, this practice is a sine qua not for participation in any competition. Currently, our sportsmen and women are exposed to all types of risks on highways to honor the games in different local championships or even on the field at the expense of their lives.

There are cases in which they have been involved in serious accidents such as the Kano one or fallen victim of the predoni motorway.

While we combine millions of Nigerians and the nation’s sporting confraternity in sympathizing with the families of the deceased, he hopes that the government of the state of Kano will take a step further by immortalizing the victims of the acocate. They should be treated as heroes who paid the supreme price during the service of their state. Survivors should also be adequately compensated.

May the Almighty Allah grant the soul of the deceased Aljannah Firdus. We also wish the injured rapid recovery.