By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Niger State government has assured football lovers that the state team, Niger Tornadoes Football Club, currently at the Nigerian Premier League, would by the second stanza of the ongoing league, play all home matches at the Bako Kontagora Stadium, Minna.
The football club was forced by the football League Management Committee to play all its home matches in Lokoja, Kogi State following the disqualification of Minna Stadium because of its substandard facilities, poor crowd control checks, sitting arrangements and poor general infrastructure.
Work on the upgrading of the township stadium which started since last year was stalled largely due lack of commitments on the part of the state government which attitude to sports had been rated below average by stakeholders.
However, following pressure from sports loving Nigerlites and concerned stakeholders, the state government lately mobilised resources for the resumption of repairs and upgrading works at the stadium.
The state government said that it had intensified work at the stadium to ensure speedy completion so that the football club could play some of its remaining matches at the resumption of the second stanza of League matches.
The Director of Sports, Minisytry of Youth and Sports Development, Baba Sheshi Katcha, said that the state government has responded to the yearnings of sports loving personalities and Tornadoes Football Club fans to release the required funds for the completion of the work at the stadium.
Work on the stadium upgrading, Baba Sheshi said, would be intensified while also promising that quality would not be compromised in ensuring that the facility is raised to standards of its counterparts world over.
Our correspondent also visited to the stadium to confirm that work was indeed ongoing.