Pioneer president of the Nigerian Skating Federation, Comrade Joseph Evah, has called for urgent mobilisation to ensure that the deaths of 22 Kano State athletes and officials in a fatal road crash are not forgotten.
The accident occurred on Saturday near Gadar Yankifi along the Kaduna-Kano expressway whilst the athletes were returning from the 2024 National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
According to Evah, the Kano State government’s compensation of N1m to the victims’ families is an insult. He demanded that the Minister of Sports and the Kano State Governor visit the families to console them. Evah also called for proper documentation of the athletes’ sacrifice and suggested that they be immortalised.
“We need to make sure these deaths are not in vain. The government must consider the great loss this tragedy has become for the parents of the departed athletes and do what they must do to mitigate this unfortunate disaster,” he said.
Evah highlighted the persistent problem of inadequate insurance coverage for athletes, drawing from his experience as skating federation president. He emphasized the need for political will to address these issues and ensure athlete welfare.
The Federal Road Safety Corps has launched an investigation into the crash, which occurred at a notorious death trap spot. President Bola Tinubu has described the incident as a “devastating blow to the nation” and called for concrete steps to prevent such tragedies.
The National Sports Commission has announced mandatory comprehensive insurance coverage for all contingents and mechanical certification for vehicles used during sports festivals. The Ogun State Government has sent a delegation to Kano and donated N31m to the victims’ families.
Evah urged the sporting community to mobilize and put pressure on the government to take meaningful action, warning that without sustained pressure, the tragedy would be forgotten, and nothing would change.
