“People say we are building a stadium that would decay in no time and I told them to watch us and see how we would maintain it after the Edo State sports festival. Three years after, the stadium still looks new and well maintained,” he said.
By Uzor Odigbo
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has explained the reasons for hosting more competitions in Ogbemudia Stadium.
According to the Deputy Governor, there are numerous facilities which gulped a lot of funds and without competition, the facilities will decay.
He insisted that for the facilities to be well maintained, there must be competition so as not to allow the facilities to decay.
“People say we are building a stadium that would decay in no time and I told them to watch us and see how we would maintain it after the Edo State sports festival. Three years after, the stadium still looks new and well maintained,” he said.
He added: “What had helped us to look after the stadium and it’s facilities is regular competitions. Without regular competition, it’s obvious the facilities will decay fast.
“I have seen most stadia build within the period ours was built go into fast decay, with tracks deteriorating and roofs falling off, but in our case, we didn’t have such experience.”
READ ALSO
How Okagbare’s ban disqualifies Nigeria’s 4×100m women’s relay team
Also speaking to newsmen in Benin on the longevity of Ogbemudia Stadium facilities, the Executive Chairman, Edo State Commission, Yusuf Alli spoke in the same vein, adding that the deputy Governor was right.
“We are experienced enough to know how to keep our sports facilities up and running. No state or country builds a stadium to allow it to decay. On our part, more competitions help us to maintain our facilities,” he said.
He added: “After the Commonwealth trials at the Ogbemudia Stadium, we are going to go round to see to the health of all facilities that were used for the competitions even to electric bulbs and fix them. For instance, the portion of the field where shot put, hammer, javelin and discus events took place would be retouched and regressed so as to prevent untimely decay.”
According to Alli, “the deputy Governor once said each time the shot put iron is landing on the grass that he painfully feels it, pointing out that these areas would be fixed as soon as the competition is over by the stadium maintenance unit, Alli said.