From; JUDEX OKORO, Calabar

IT was Easter tragedy in Calabar over the weekend as the$14m (about N5.8bn) uncompleted multipurpose Indoor Sports Hall at the U. J. Esuene, Stadium collapsed. The indoor sports facility was awarded at the cost of $14m to Henley Brecon and Mayfield Limited by the immediate past administration of Governor Liyel Imoke.

It was learnt that the amount paid upfront the handlers of the project. The uncompleted in- door sports hall was one of the facilities meant for the hosting of the National Sports Festival, which would have been hosted by the state since. Eyewitness, Nyong Edem, said the structure, collapsed in the afternoon, a few minutes after some people finished cleaning debris from the uncompleted facility.

Edem said they are lucky that it happened during a public holiday as most people, especially children, did notcome to the stadium, adding that it would have been a major disaster.

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Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Mr. Orok Duke, while reacting over the incident, said it was unfortunate that the contractor did not only fail to deliver the project according to schedule , and specification, after collecting $14 million (about N5.8bn)upfront, but used substandard the indoor sport hall.

“What I have discovered is that the contractors to this project have used substandard materials, and it is showing because this structure has been here for not more than three year. but , what we should note is that this structurte was erected before the advent of Preofessor Ben Ayade’s  government.

“And in keeping with our policy of trying to reposition sport, I had asked for permission to go after the contractor, but my principal the governor had said he does not want to be distracted. We should cut our losses and move on because he was still focusing on hosting the national sports festival. Duke alleged that substan- dard materials were used for the construction work, leading to the eventual collapse.