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By Uzor Odigbo
The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports has commenced the total rehabilitation of the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos, with the demolition of illegal structure within and around the complex.
The exercise, has, however, brought pains to illigal shop owners, who were seen lamenting their loss in the sports city.
The Co-Chairman of the Ministerial Committee, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd), had said that compliance to orders would save the victims from incurring loses as the committee would not relent in carrying out the assignment to a logical conclusion.
However, one of the affected shop owners, Funmi Ojo, lamented how helpful selling goods at the stadium helped her in training her children in school, but said that the notice for the demolition was short.
“I’ve been selling cooked food here at the stadium since 1992. I can’t understand what’s happening. We were given a 14-day ultimatum to move our belongings out of the stadium, which we complied, and now they’ve demolished my shop along with many others,” laments Mrs Funmi Ojo, a business owner inside the National Stadium, Lagos.
Ojo is one among business owners affected by the exercise.
The demolition, which began on Wednesday, rendered many shop owners job less.
The atmosphere at the stadium, which had been under lock and key to users since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March, was that of anguish, wailings and lamentations.
“Look at me, I don’t have a husband. Through my food business, I was able to train my children; my last child graduated from university two years ago, but he is jobless. We feed on my food business in the stadium.
“We are begging the government to help us,” Ojo added.
The stadium, built in 1972 by the military regime of Gen Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), had been left in ruins since the early 2000s, and last hosted a national team game in 2004, with football matches moved to the nearby Teslim Balogun Stadium.
