Illegal Occupants of National Stadium in Lagos, Abuja Get Quit Order

Illegal Occupants of National Stadium in Lagos, Abuja Get Quit Order

*Ministerial Task Force to begin work today in Sports-city

By Olawale Ajimotokan

After several years of Illegal occupants and structures within the National Stadium in Lagos, the Ministerial Task Force set up by Youth and Sports Development Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, will begin work today to identify those to flush out of the facility.

Similarly, all illegal occupants at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja have been given a 25-day ultimatum to quit the place to enable rehabilitation work commence.

The National Stadium in Lagos became haven to illegal squatters and miscreants over the years as a result of lack of attention from previous administrations.

But Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, who is determined to leave a lasting legacy in Nigerian sports set up a ministerial task force recently to source for how to renovate and put sports facilities in the country back to maximum use.

According to the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister, John Joshua Akanji, the task force will begin work today with the verification of occupants and identification of illegal structures at the complex.

The committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Gabriel Aduda, is mandated to restore sanity to the complex ahead of the planned concession.

Already, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Dr. Jide Salako, has been co-opted into the committee as a member.

While inaugurating the committee, Mr. Dare charged the committee to bring back the lost glory of the edifice.

“The National Stadium, Lagos holds alot of fond memories for our sportsmen and other Nigerians. We shall no longer allow our infrastructures to lie waste. “All our national stadiums shall be put to best use. Abuja and Kaduna are at advanced stages of regaining their prestige.

“Lagos has approval from the Federal Government for concession. Before the process is complete, we need to restore sanity to the place. So the work of the task force is cut out. In the past, we had interlopers. Not anymore more. The stadium is now going to be fixed to serve our teeming youth. The task force will carry out its assignment according to the law of the land,” the minister had laid out as part of the brief of the task force.

The terms of reference of the commitee include; carry out audit of approved tenants; verify details of tenancy agreement; come up with list of all approved and unapproved physical structures and approved construction; list of all squatters and their business; investigate staff of the Ministry who allow the presence of the squatters; carry out a detailed analysis of all revenue generated at the stadium and take inventory of all shops and businesses within the stadium premises.

The commitee headed by Mr. Aduda has members drawn from the Sports Ministry, Lagos State and the organized private sector.

Other members of the committee include Dr. Paul Ohido, Director, Sports Medicine, Mr. Mohammed Danjuma, Director, Legal, Mr. Olajide Ajayi TA. To PS, Mr Sola Aiyepeku, Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Peter Nelson Director, PMI, Mr. Alanamu Abolore , Director FM/FASD, Okedairo,DD , SFDA, Alhaji Bode Durotoye, DD/ LO, Lagos, Mr. Abiodun Owoborode, Executive Assitant to HM, Benjamin Ukwuoma, CTO, FASD, Mr.Adeolu Fasanya, SAO,/ FASD, Mr Kehinde Owopetu, CSW/SM, Lagos.

Others are Idris Oloruninbe, and Abdulgafar Idris representing the organized private sector.

The committee has 21 days to complete its assignment.

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