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Calabar Tragedy: Kanu To Organize All-Star Football Match For Victims

Nigeria and Arsenal football legend Nwankwo Kanu, has indicated interest in organizing an All-Star Football Match to raise money for victims of the unfortunate Calabar … Continue reading Calabar Tragedy: Kanu To Organize All-Star Football Match For Victims


Nwankwo Kanu

Nigeria and Arsenal football legend Nwankwo Kanu, has indicated interest in organizing an All-Star Football Match to raise money for victims of the unfortunate Calabar viewing centre incident, that claimed lives last week Thursday in Nyaghassang Community and also develop the community.

The former Presidential Adviser and Bakassi leader, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa said, Yobo and other football stars have also indicated interest on coming to the state to work together and achieve a set goal for the community.

Ita-Giwa disclosed this to reporters in Calabar, the Cross River state capital after leading a candle light procession and prayer session on Thursday night, to commemorate one week of the incident, said the soccer stars would be working with other colleagues to organize the match.

Over a thousand members of the Nyaghassang Community wearing black T-shirts inscribed with “Rest In Peace Dear Football Enthusiasts” gathered to pay their last respect to the deceased.

Ita-Giwa, who led the procession exercise with other women on behalf of Concerned Mothers of the Efik Kingdom, had earlier promised to build a standard football-viewing centre for the community.

Ita-Giwa said, “I had reached out to someone like Kanu Nwankwo, who is so sympathetic. In fact, he is talking about an All-Stars Football Match to raise money to come and develop this community, and he is serious about it. Kanu has promised.

“I have spoken to Joseph Yobo, and he is ready to also collaborate with Kanu so that they can bring their colleagues.

“Such a profound incident to happen to a community like this is not something we should be quiet and just let pass.

“In civilized communities, when people die for such a cause, you come out to remember that day. You come out to commiserate with the people. You come out to create activities that would commemorate that day that this thing happened.

“We thought that for innocent people to come and die like that for something they were passionate about, which is football, we should come out and remember that day that it happened and we are overwhelmed by the turnout today.

“We have to start showing love to each other. We have to show compassion for each other.”