The Delta commissioner added that workers at Stephen Keshi Stadium put out the fire even before the arrival of the state fire service.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Delta State Government has called down social media reports claiming that Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, was destroyed by fire.
According to the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, the alleged fire was blown out of proportion on social media.
The Delta commissioner, who addressed reporters at Stephen Keshi Stadium on Sunday, said the incident did not affect the stadium complex but some condemned roofing sheets that were removed from the building.
He said that the fire was not caused by any electrical connection or picture of any presidential candidate as “mischievously” reported by the man who recorded the video in circulation.
He cautioned that social media is supposed to be a means of adding value to the information value chain and warned against using it to score some cheap political points.
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According to him, the fire was caused by the drop from the welder’s electrode which fell on the condemned roofing sheets on the ground.
“I told you a few days ago that we are undertaking some renovation on this facility and while the welder was very busy working upstairs, the electrode that was actually more like a spark coming from the iron, fell on the condemned roofing sheets on the ground and it caught fire.
“The fire did not affect the stadium itself but unfortunately the heat that emanated from the fire melted some of the cladding on the wall of the stadium, not that the stadium itself caught fire.
“It is the condemned roofing sheets that were removed from the roof which has become more like a waste and were yet to be evacuated from the premises of the stadium,” said Aniagwu.
The Delta commissioner added that workers at Stephen Keshi Stadium put out the fire even before the arrival of the state fire service.
