IN A PRESS CONFERENCE BY
THE HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, MR. ANIEKAN
UMANAH (FNIM), ON THE COMMISSIONING OF UYO INTERNATIONAL STADIUM SLATED FOR
FRIDAY, 7TH NOVEMBER, 2014.
It is a great honour to
address you today on behalf of the government of Akwa Ibom State. The purpose
of this conference is for me to intimate you on the line-up of activities for
the inauguration of the magnificent 30,000-capacity Uyo International Stadium by
His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic.
Gentlemen, Akwa Ibom
International Stadium is one of the land mark projects initiated and completed
by the Administration of His Excellency, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON,
Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State. It is a prominent item on the Uncommon
Transformation bouquet of this government. The significance of the Stadium to
the development of sports in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and indeed Africa,
justifies the elaborate arrangements made to mark its official commissioning.
Let me share with you
brief insights into the edifice we are talking about here.
The stadium is a
two-tiered structure that includes a 400m-running track for athletic events,
and is the pilot part of Uyo Sports Park development. It sits on a-36.3
hectares of land and is enclosed by a white triangular-shaped outer covering
that encircles the whole stands. Its geometry is developed on the basis of a
typical layout for multi-purpose stadia, with an arena with running track, and
under consideration of optimal viewing for such sports as football and
athletics.
It is constructed to
seat, severally, a little more than 30,000 spectators for soccer or track and
field events. While the Grand Stand can comfortably accommodate about 7,500
spectators, including the VIP/VVIPs. Its East Stand and Curves have provision
for approximately 22,500 people. The Governors’ Lounge is located in the Grand
Stand on Level Two and has sitting capacity for between 30 and 40 VVIPs. Spaces
to the left and right of the Governors’ Lounge are the VIP Lounges that can
play host to 60 – 70 people. And on the seating platform of the Governors’
Lounge is provision for fixed seating for 97 VVIPs/VIPs. Level 0 of the edifice
includes such athletes’ facilities as team changing units, collective changing
units, referees’ dressing room, office and meeting rooms for team meetings,
etc. At this level also are entrances to the East Stand Curves, toilets, first
aid stations, stores and stairs to the upper levels, with the whole area
rain/sun proof.
Level 1 provides
dormitories for lower tier seating, kiosks, food, and beverage facilities.
Level 2 is used for facilities of spectators of the upper seating, which
includes toilets and kiosks. Level 3 is a service concourse for access to the
upper tier seating. To ensure maximum safety of users of the facility, the
access and exit system are in tandem with global safety canons and provide two
separate emergency exits which allow evacuation in less than eight minutes.
Moreover, the stadium
has two video boards with the screens placed under the roof of the curves at
opposite angles (north and south). The running track has six irrigation taps to
clean the tartan surface. There is earthing and lightning protection in the
facility, even as a storage tank with two compartments is billed for supply of
water to the stadium, whose daily water need is estimated to be 160m3. The
second water storage tank with a capacity of 200m is to be provided to serve
Phase 1 of the stadium and the fire fighting needs thereof. A fire fighting
pump set with an equivalent capacity of 96m3/h with 100% capacity and one
jockey pump of about 1% capacity has been installed.
The structure has
interesting electrical features, few of which are: 250W floodlights IP67 on 8m
high round conical steel poles along the perimeter fence, with a distance of
approximately 35m between each of them. There are 70 – 400W street lights on 8
– 12m high steel poles along the perimeter fence. There is also decorative
light stack 45W, IP54, on 4m high aluminum pole with door, painted stainless
steel screws in the centre of the road between helipad and stadium VIP access.
The stadium comes with
fixed and dome cameras for day/night automatic switching for the access areas
outside the main bowl, as well as on all levels inside the main bowl, the VIP
areas and along the perimeter fence of the stadium. Control monitors are in
place in the security room and for the perimetre fence additionally in gate
house no. 1.
Gentlemen, that was, as
one of our late football ace commentators, Ernest Okoronkwo, was wont to say,
“A longish one!” But it was only necessary that I took you on that brief guided
tour of that masterpiece of a stadium. Thanks for your patience.
Now, let us move over to
the line-up of events:
12.00 pm
- Opening of turnstiles
for public admission
- Gates open for entry
of VIPs and dignitaries
3:00 pm
- Arrival of :
Ø President, Federal
Republic of Nigeria
Ø President, Federal
Republic of Cote D’Ivoire
Ø President, of the
Republic of Ghana
Ø Their Excellencies,
the visiting governors of Nigeria & His Excellency, the Executive Governor
of Akwa Ibom State
3.30 pm
- National Anthem of
Nigeria led by Pat Akpabio
- National Anthem of
Cote D’’Ivoire led by Patience Ehi
- National Anthem of
Ghana led by Emem Andrew
and backed by Ibom Unity
Brass Band
3.45 pm
- Hymn: “Afo ‘modot
itoro”, sung by Aity Dennis
- Prayer of dedication
3.45 pm
- Welcome Speech by His
Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot
Akpabio, CON
4.00 pm
- Special Commemorative
Song by Akwa Ibom Music Stars: Aity Dennis, Pat Akpabio, Fadabasi, Icekyd,
Presh, King David, Mc Galaxy, Dikan, Desmond Offong, Unik, Mr. Xto, Pasto Goody
Goody, Mish, Queen Favour, Skankin Master, Aniekan Sasforo, Ann Inyang and
Lemmy Jackson.
4.05 pm
- Video Presentation:
The Making of Akwa Ibom Stadium
4.15 pm
- Governor leads Mr.
President and VIPs to the commissioning point
4.20 pm
- Commissioning of the
stadium by Mr. President
- Unveiling of the
commemorative plaque
4.25 pm
- Speech by His
Excellency, the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, GCFR
4.40 pm
- Marching display by the
Real Brass Band
4.50 pm
On-pitch pre-match
entertainment featuring:
- Mish, singing “Akwa
Ibom Ayaya”
- Mavins Crew, singing
“DoroBucchi”
- KCee, singing
“Limpopo”
5.15 pm
- Grand Parade: ‘Journey
across the Land of Uncommon Transformation’ featuring the following groups:
Greater Tomorrow Football Academy, The State Cheer Leaders, Akwa Ibom Future
Professionals Group, The Royal Rangers, Uyai Iban, Itembe, Council for Arts and
Culture, Ekpe, Ekpo, the 9999 Choristers, The State Fire Service, The AKSG Ushers
and Ibom Brass Band.
Music: ‘Wavin’ Flag’, by
K’naan
5.35 pm
- Arrival and pitch
inspection by the national teams of Nigeria - the Super Eagles and that of
Ghana - the Black Stars
6.15 pm
- Presentation of the
teams to the three Presidents by HE the Governor and the official VIP Party
6.30 pm
- Kick-off
8.15pm
- Full-time
- Presentations at the
State Box
- National Anthems of
Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria
Departures
Gentlemen, you will
agree with me that Akwa Ibom State has witnessed steady progress in her short
but eventful years since creation. During the past 7 years our State has
witnessed tremendous progress in all aspects of development, particularly in
infrastructure, education, health care delivery, youth and women empowerment and
human capacity development. With the free, compulsory and qualitative
education, free health care for infants, pregnant women and the elderly; the
construction of about 350 new roads covering about 1,900 kilometres across the
State, 5 new flyovers and 30 bridges, as well as the development of the
Aviation sector through the completion of phase I of the Ibom International
Airport and commencement of work on phase II, in addition to the development of
the tourism sector, agriculture and the power sector, the Akpabio-led
government of Akwa Ibom State has justified the mandate freely given it by the
good people of this State in 2007.
The Stadium Complex to
be commissioned by Mr. President is a testimony to the uncommon achievements of
this uncommon son of Akwa Ibom State. Given the quality of the edifice, which
is adjudged to be the best in the sub-region, there is no doubt that it will
add value to sports development in the State, nation and global community.
Accordingly, I invite
you to be part of this moment of our history by giving massive publicity to the
event. The Government of Akwa Ibom State wishes to commend you for your
unrelenting show of patriotism and cooperation through your responsible and
responsive reportage of its activities over the years. Please, just as you have
already done and doing, keep doing it. On the part of this Administration, you
will be given all the needed cooperation and assistance to sustain this
partnership.
Thank you and God bless.
