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Home |   About Us |   Contact Us |   Members |   Search |   Subscribe |   Disclaimer |   THE GUARDIAN CONSCIENCE, NURTURED BY TRUTH LAGOS, NIGERIA.     Wednesday, June 30 2004   news   editorial/opinion   policy & politics   focus/record   business   sports   capital market   metro   arts   money watch   energy   maritime   Guardian Chat Click to join the chatroom The Abuja Stadium velodrome SIR: During the closing ceremony of the 8th All Africa Games hosted and won by Nigeria in October 2003, heavy rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm wrecked havoc on the newly built stadium rending the beautiful velodrome and sending those in attendance scampering for their dear lives. There was no loss of life; only the spectacular velodrome paid the price. When the catastrophe struck, some of us raised our voice for the velodrome to be quickly restored. Unfortunately, nine months down the line, nothing significant has been done save the cleaning up of the place. As if that was not enough, I was passing along the road of the recently auctioned Games Village on Sunday, June 13, 2004 and I saw that the roof-top of one of the buildings close to the road has also been blown off by the wind. All these are happening less than a year after the construction of this ultra-modern, state-of-the-art, multi-billion naira stadium complex. This says much about the sub-standard quality of the job done on the sporting complex and a great indictment on the maintenance culture on government property. It is good that the Games Village has been sold off to the interested members of the public. However, would government have to sell off the stadium too in order to prevent its early dilapidation If the newly commissioned Abuja National Stadium complex can suffer this fate early in life, what then would be the state of the long abandoned, other government-owned stadia that dot the Nigerian landscape Does anybody still wonder why there are no good stadia in Nigeria Can't public servants be good managers of government property for once The ruinous management of NITEL, NEPA, Nigeria Airways, National Theatre and the nation's four refineries is still fresh in our minds; hence the advocates of total privatisation now have the ears of government at all levels. What a shame! Short of asking for the privatisation of the new Abuja Stadium complex and other stadia in the country, let government employ consultants or private managers to administer these sport centres, perhaps they would fare better than the incredible civil servants. Lest I forget, the contractor that handled the building of the velodrome and the Sports Ministry should ensure the restoration of the velodrome without any further delay. Jide Ojo, Abuja, FCT � 2003 - 2004 @ Guardian Newspapers Limited (All Rights Reserved).  Powered by dnetsystems.net dnet�

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