It is indeed 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.
4.05pm - 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.
BEING TEXT OF 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.
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