Residents in One Man-Village and New Nyanya, in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa have called for additional recreation centres in Karu axis to avoid stampede among children and parents.
The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Thursday, said providing additional recreation centres would checkmate overcrowding in the only existing centre in the area.
According to them, having two or more recreation centres in some locations in Karu will be a good development for the well-being of Nigerians.
They added that avoiding over congestion has its significant health benefits, especially for people who are vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.
Mrs Kemi Adeolu, a civil servant, said having more recreational centres would go a long way in avoiding situations of stampede among children.
According to her, Christmas is a season of celebration and relaxation and many families use the period to relax.
Adeolu said celebrating Christmas could lead to multiple numbers of people going to parks and gardens, adding that if the numbers were not checkmated, it could lead to unforeseen situation.
” With the recent happenings of loss of lives occasioned by the distribution of palliative, it is high time that there should be a law to restrict the number of persons gathered in a place at a particular time, especially playgrounds.
“More recreation centres should be created, not necessarily owned by individuals, but it can also be public/private partnership with strong crowd control mechanism to guard against stampede, destruction and untimely deaths.
“Judging by population of over 200 million people and also by our uniqueness of the rich culture of peace, entertainment and tourism, there is a need for us to exploit ways of creating more recreation centres.
“For such will discourage foreign tourism since we have the space and market, and other tourist attractions should be upgraded,” she said.
Adeolu further said that government should revive moribund tourist attractions at all national parks.
“The state and local governments should also create their own and maintain them to global standards, for such will attract foreign tourists, instead of our own people going out.”
A parent, Mr Danladi Bako, said he took his family to Ivana Events and Amusement Centre at One Man Village, but had to return home due to the large crowd in the centre.
“The moment I saw the crowd at the park, what came to my mind was what if there is a stampede. With that thought, I carried my family back home.
“The overcrowding of the park signifies that, there is need for more amusement parks in Karu Local Government Area.
“There is a huge population in this axis of the town and transporting a whole family to amusement parks in town is expensive considering the transport fare.
“My call is to the government and other individuals to invest in amusement parks and event centres in Karu Local Government.
“They will experience huge patronage, because the population seeking entertainment in Karu is huge,” Bako said.
Mr Williams Lukeman, a businessman, said recreation centres always provide opportunities for family bonding during festive seasons such as this.
Lukeman said every family needs a comfortable recreation centre, but not a place that would inconvenience them or harm them.
According to him, recreation centres provide a connection to nature, which relieves stress, improve mental health, as well as tighten interpersonal relationships.
”Considering the stampede incidents that happened in Abuja and other states, it is hard time individuals or relevant authorities created more recreation centres in Karu.
“Ivana Events and Amusement Centre is a nice place to visit in this festive season, but we need more recreation centres to avoid any story that touches the heart.
“Recreation centres provide spaces where residents can engage in physical activities, socialise with neighbours, and enjoy leisure time with family and friends,” he said. (NAN)
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