Governor Akinwunmi Ambode never shies away from making his point. The first time he made known his interest in the National Stadium, Surulere was last year. Some days back, he renewed the interest of Lagos State to take over the federal asset.
The National Stadium is not the only federal asset the state is interested in. The state also wants the National Arts Theatre, which the Federal Government has been unable to fully utilize.
Ambode said Lagos was interested in taking over the National Stadium, Surulere and the National Theatre for the purpose of reviving them to boost tourism in the state.
The governor spoke in Lagos while inaugurating newly rehabilitated roads in Modele and Mathew Streets, Surulere. He said the two federal monuments had immense potential to boost tourism development in the state.
”The government is committed to the tourism development of the state and creating a great night life in Surulere area.
”But it will be difficult to recreate the kind of great night life we used to have in Surulere without the government taking over the National Stadium and National Theatre for the purpose of reviving and repositioning them.
“This government is so passionate about tourism development and we believe giving life to these two monuments would further help our agenda for tourism,” he said.
Last year, Ambode, and the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, were at the abandoned National Stadium, Lagos. The stadium, in the last decade or so, has not seen any major fund from its owner, the Federal Government. As a result of this, many of its infrastructure are in terrible shape. The main bowl appears to be the worst affected. The seats have given way, largely and the turf is a good example of what a football pitch should never be like.
Specifically, since 2004, its green has become a sand bog. Its running track has remained in a state of decay. The stands are virtually gone and the indoor sports hall appears to see light when basketball tournaments hold there once in a while.
The situation of this historic edifice has become so bad that many know it more for the many joints now dotting its landscape. Football, gymnastics, athletics and others sports for which it was built have taken the backseat.
Ambode was not unaware of the shameful state of this remarkable asset. So, when he heard of plans to concession, he cued in. This was what led to the inspection he and Dalung carried out at the stadium last Wednesday. Some of the facilities the duo inspected in company of aides include the Molade Okoya Tennis Hall, the 3000-capacity multi-purpose indoor sports hall, beach soccer pitch, synthetic football pitch and the 38,000-capacity main bowl football field.
After the inspection, Ambode said it was unfortunate how things had degenerated and expressed the readiness of the state government to take over the stadium from the Federal Government and transform it to a world class sporting centre. He added that people were always enthusiastic to visit the stadium in the past to watch matches and so on.
He said: “This visit is very historic. I recall that during our campaign, we promised that we are going to use tourism, entertainment and arts and sports to drive youth employment as well as drive excellence. So, this is just one chapter in that roadmap to growing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Lagos.
“With the state of affairs here, we cannot fold our arms and just leave this monument to just waste away. The last match that was played here was about fifteen years ago but the truth is this, the inner key to youth empowerment and youth employment is actually in re-establishing this edifice to its real world class standard.
“What we ask for in Lagos is not as if we are being aggressive, we just think that we need to stand up for leadership here and take over the National Stadium.”
Dalung, who described the stadium as a national disaster, did not hide his willingness to let the state government take it over. The minister thanked Ambode for his interest in repositioning the stadium.
He said: “We have gone round and we have seen the edifice in a sorry state. Whatever we can do to arrest the situation, we must do it. In my village, there is an adage, which says once there is fire disaster, there is no choice of liquid and any liquid that can contribute to extinguish the fire must be mobilised, including liquor. But today, we have a disaster and we must do everything possible to extinguish it.
“I want to thank the governor for finding time to come. I have received what I can call football gossip from football federation that if the Surulere Stadium is handed over to Lagos and renovated in six months, the next match of Nigeria against Zambia would be played here.”
Unfortunately, since the minister expressed his readiness to concession the stadium to the state government, there have been moves by enemies of the state to thwart this effort to reposition this stadium, which for a generation of Nigerians is the true cultural home of sports.
There are surreptitious moves to ensure that Lagos does not get the deal to breathe life into this edifice built in 1972 and was associated with international sporting excellence.
The truth is: denying Lagos this opportunity will be bad, especially against the backdrop of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier approved the request of the Kaduna State government to take over the Ahmadu Bello Stadium. The Enugu State government has also had its wish to manage the Enugu Stadium approved by the president; just like and Calabar Stadium is not taken over by a state government.
The case of Lagos should not be different. If there is anything that Ambode has shown since he took over the reins in Lagos, it is the fact that he represents excellence and will efficiently manage the stadium and make it the pride of the nation.
The repositioning of the stadium has the capacity to lift the sporting fortunes of the country. It also has the potential to help take off the streets some young men and women who would ordinarily have taken to crimes. What more, the Federal Government will also earn money from this edifice to increase what is in the pool for national development.