The Ogun State government announced yesterday an indefinite suspension of trading and other non-sporting activities at the M. K. O. Abiola Stadium at Kuto in Abeokuta, the state capital, with effect from September 13.
The government also ordered traders and shop owners on the premises to move out before the date.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, spoke in Abeokuta at the end of a meeting with the traders and security chiefs in the state.
He said: “We agreed that the problems at the stadium have become unacceptable and must be immediately addressed.
“We also agreed that all non-sporting activities should be suspended in the stadium with effect from September 13, pending the decisions of the task force.”
Adeoluwa told the traders that the state government was mindful of the fact that they earn their living from the facility, adding that it would not subject them to any undue hardship.
The SSG said the stakeholders agreed that social vices, such as teenage prostitution, drug trafficking, noise and environmental pollutions, had assumed an alarming dimension and must be tackled head-on.
He also announced the constitution of a Joint Task Force (JTF) comprising traders, security agencies and government officials to find lasting solutions to the trend.
Some traders, including Sofela Sodunke, Rasak Olalekan and Lateef Babatunde, expressed delight at the meeting and pledged their readiness to cooperate with the government to restore normalcy and decency to the stadium.