The Cross River State House of Assembly has taken a resolution that relevant government agencies should as a matter of urgency ban all viewing centers and other businesses located under high tension cables across the state.
This was part of the resolutions taken during plenary following a matter of urgent public interest raised on the floor of the House by member representing Calabar South II, Mr. Okon Ephraim on the recent electrocution of some football fans which occurred in Akpan Ndem Community in Nyanghasang area of Calabar Municipality.
The House further resolved that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should collaborate with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected victims while members moved at the interim to provide some financial assistance to the victims.
The resolution also urged all local government areas across the state to put machinery in motion to regulate the erection of viewing centers in order to forestall  a reoccurrence of the ugly incident while the relevant House Committee should carry out its oversight functions by ensuring that relevant government agencies, including Town Planning, Ministry of Lands and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)  regulate the erection of illegal buildings and other structures under high tension cables in order to protect the lives and property of citizens.
Members in separate remarks lamented the lack of regulation in the erection of structures emphasizing that the building in question was an illegal structure, adding that the death of the football fans was very sad.
To this end, member representing Calabar Municipality, Mr. Efa Esua urged the State Government to put in place a panel of enquiry to ascertain the causes of the incident as promised while informing that many of the victims who sustained different degrees of burns were receiving treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and the General Hospital, Calabar.
The lawmakers, however, observed a minute silence for the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls.
Earlier,  the Speaker of the House, Mr. John Gaul Lebo who led members on a visit to the viewing center expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident, adding that the House had been on recess when the incident occurred.
Mr. Lebo reiterated the need for property developers to adhere strictly to acceptable standards and condemned the practice of building under high tension cables or very near to it adding that the House will mandate its relevant committee to ascertain the number of persons affected with a view to rendering some possible assistance to them.
Also speaking, the Assistant Secretary of the community,  Edem Edem Effiom informed members that several people lost their lives in the incident pointing out that a procession was organized in honour of the victims, amongst other activities.