The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Stadium

  • Sanwo-Olu promises Lagos take over of National Stadium

    The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised to vigorously follow-up the Lagos State bid to take over the National Stadium complex in Lagos.

    He made the assertion while on a special visit to the secretariat of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos chapter.

    Lagos State had submitted a bid in 2016 for full takeover of the 45-year old complex but it ended as failed proposal despite the fact that the ruling party in the state won the general election at the centre in 2015. He promised to give the sports sector a special boost if elected in the coming elections in Nigeria. Governorship election in the country holds on March 2.

    Sanwo-Olu said his visit was a continuation of sectorial consultation. This time, it is the sports sector. He said sports would be autonomous from the other sectors and separated for entertainment and effort would be made to ensure that the sector is self-driven to bring the best out of potentials that abound in the nooks and crannies of the state.

    “This sector deserves a special attention and we will ensure that the restive youths would be fully engaged in the rediscovery of their talents in the drive to bring back the old glory associated with the state at National Sports Festival.

    “Although I’m aware that other states poach athletes who have been groomed by Lagos state when national events come up, it is on record that Lagos do not need to do same because we have abundant talents who have been lured for monetary gains.

    “Lagos State Sports Commission will continue with its policies such as training grants to athletes and empowering the coaches with up-to-date knowledge of their respective events, while motivation of athletes will not be neglected,” he remarked.

  • Preye, Durogbade, others win at Cadbury Duathlon Championship

    Dede John Preye and Adejoke Durogbade emerged champions in the elite category of the Cadbury Bournvita Duathlon championship which took place yesterday at the National Stadium, Lagos.

    Preye finished in a time of 57:35.97sec to beat Adeniran Opeyemi (59:16.97sec) and Garba Musad (I:25:65.60sec) to the second and third positions respectively.

    Also, Durogbade with a time of I:05:05:57sec beat Sylvia Odom (I:07:53sec) and Mary Oyebola (I:12:58.09sec) to the second and third positions respectively.

    In the Junior Boys category, Gana Isaac emerged the champion, while Abideen Odebiyi and Orekan Jabar finished second and third respectively. In the Junior girls category, Yemisi Alabi, Sofoluwe Olabisi and Patricia fished first second and third respectively.

    In the Junior Boys category, Akinola Tobi emerged the winner, Qasim Quadri finished second while Anikunola Olowonanu ended third. In the Cadet girls category, Racheal Morakinyo finished first, Bliss Afekhuai ended second, while Praise Uzor finished third.

    Speaking after the event, Cadbury’s Director, Corporate and Government Affairs, Bala Yesufu commended the athletes for putting up a good show and the Nigeria Triathlon Union (NTU) for organizing a befitting championship.

    He stated that Cadbury sponsored the event because of its belief that triathlon would help develop some young talents in the country. “I must commend that athletes for putting up good performances and I encourage them to do better in subsequent championship.

    Yesufu stated that the partnership between Cadbury and NTU would be an enduring that is capable of discovering and developing world beaters.

    President of NTU, Prince Wale Oladunjoye also commended that athletes for doing well at the championship and called on other corporate organisations to emulate Cadbury’s kind gesture.

    “I thank the athletes, sponsor, officials and the Executive Committee of the NTU for their contributions towards the success of the championship. I will use this opportunity to call on other sponsors to join hands with us in taking triathlon to every part of the country,” Oladunjoye added.

  • Sinach, Eben, others for Night of Mercy

    The Holy Ghost Centre will be holding a program themed ‘Night of Mercy’ on November 9, 2018 with Dr Amos Fenwa as the host pastor.

    The event which is scheduled for 7 pm at the National Stadium, Lagos Nigeria will feature ministration from different musical groups including the Gratitude (COZA) and the Paraclete Mass choir (PMC).

    Other special guest artists who are expected at the event includes: Efe Nathan, Eben, Sinach, Chioma Jesus and Tope Alabi.

  • Ebonyi soccer fans remember Okwaraji after 29 years

    Football fans in Ebonyi have extolled the patriotism and unique character of the late Super Eagles midfield maestro, Sam Okwaraji, 29 years after his demise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former Eintratch Frankfurt of Germany star suddenly collapsed and died on Aug. 12, 1989 during an “Italia 90” World Cup qualifier against Angola, at the National Stadium, Lagos.

    The fans, who spoke to NAN on Sunday in Abakaliki, alleged that in spite of the nation’s football authority’s erasing Okwaraji’s memory in its activities, fans across Ebonyi, Nigeria and Africa still remember him.

    Obinna Nwankpa, a defunct Ebonyi Angels striker, recalled with nostalgia the events which made Aug. 12 unforgettable in the annals of the nation’s soccer history.

    “I was inside the `main bowl’ on that fateful day and most fans due to the tension generated by the encounter, did not notice when Okwaraji slumped.

    “It was a fellow midfielder, Ademola Adeshina’s hysterical shouts on the referee and the medical team for attention on Okwaraji that drew players and spectators’ attention as life was draining from him,” he said.

    Eche Ezechukwu, a former Golden Eaglets Striker, said that Okwaraji’s unique lifestyle motivated him to pursue his soccer career.

    “Okwaraji remains the only Nigerian player who paid for his flight expenses whenever on national duties and truly saw wearing the national colours as an honour.

    “He remains in death, a role model for Nigerian players because the sort of tension and grief generated by his death in the country that day, had not been experienced till date,” he said.

    Jude Asokuh, who claimed to be Okwaraji’s relation, lamented that several promises made to the Okwaraji family by the federal and some state governments had not been fulfilled.

    “The governments only erected several statues of Okwaraji at the National Stadium, Lagos and other places, organised activities in his name within that period, while decorating his grave at his hometown Umudioka, Orlu in Imo.

    “Several financial among other promises made to his family were not fulfilled and football authorities in the country cannot even maintain the simple task of keeping his memory alive,” he lamented.

    A businessman, Chief Orji Ndah, collaborated Asokuh’s assertion, saying that such treatment for departed and retired ex-internationals accounted for the non-patriotic disposition of active footballers.

    Read also: Comedian Ali Baba gives relationship goals

    “Players have families to cater for and future to secure and this make them demand for financial commitments for national duties because they will be forgotten immediately they retire or die.

    “It is shameful, for instance, that the football authorities no longer remember Rashidi Yekini, a player revered around the continent and whose goals brought honour to the country and joy to several homes,” he said.

    A civil servan, Ifeoma Anukam, urged Nigerian footballers to have alternative careers as exemplified by Okwarji.

    “The late Okwaraji, in spite of his busy football schedules, was an international lawyer and possessed degrees in several disciplines, a situation that could have alternatively secured his future if he was still alive,” she said.

  • Make positive impact in your community, Obiano‘s wife charged women

    Make positive impact in your community, Obiano‘s wife charged women

    Women have been charged to make positive impact in their community; this was said by the wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano at the Skill Acquisition and Economic Empowerment Programme which was organized by the Association of Anambra State Women Association, Lagos, (ASWAL) which was held at the National Stadium, Lagos.
    According to Ebelechukwu Obiano, women need to learn the skill of foresight. “Foresight helps us to pull the future into the present and transition from a position of reactive disruption to a proactive transformation”, she said.
    Ebele Obiano who was the Chief Guest of Honour at the programme which was tagged 21th Century Woman ; the critical success factors, this
    transformation is evident in the giant stride which is being recorded by Anambra State government, such as the exportation of farm produce by Anambra State government, numerous rehabilitation work which is on-going in the state; no more of traffic congestion; salaries are paid as at when due, among others.
    Aside from these, Ebele Obiano revealed how she has been putting smile on the faces of indigent in the state which she started way back in 1991 through her nongovernmental organization; Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ) and the kind gesture she pointed out is continuous.
    Her words “The state has become a reference point in Nigeria due to unequalled achievement of Governor Willie Obiano”, she said.
    Speaking on the objectives of the Association, the President, ASWAL, Dr. Mrs. Nkiru Ifekwem said is to promote unity and unity under the friendly co-existence between the people of Anambra resident in Lagos on one hand and all citizens of the country on the other.
    According to Ifekwem, ASWAL in its over 25 years of existence  has embarked on plethora of people oriented programmes aimed at sensitizing aimed at sensitizing and uplifting Anambra women both in Lagos and Anambra State.
    “These programmes are in form of workshops, skill seminars, acquisition, trainings, health and political sensitizations, among others”, she said.
    The theme she pointed out goes along with the vision of ASWAL which is to be an Anambra woman in the centre of excellence with the right values and fully empowered for development and service to humanity.

    Make positive impact in your community, Obiano‘s wife charged women
    caption 2: Cross section of women during the procession at the event
    Speaking on the theme of the programme titled :21st Century woman; the Critical Success Factors’ the President, Association of Professional Women Engineers, Nigeria, Engr. Mrs. Felicia Agubata said women have and are still making progress on all spheres, however, the 21th Century presents a different profile and different possibilities. “We need to acquire the critical skills required for our forward thrust, more collaboration with men will help, no doubt, but women do not require slackening of standards to successfully pitch for the top jobs and positions”, she said.
    In her address, the Chief Guest of Honour, President, Virtuous Women International, Dr. Mrs. Felicia Okoye said when a woman is financially independent, she will not be ashamed. “As a woman, encourage your husband to do the right thing, be a pathfinder and a role model for your children”, she said.
    Other high points of the event was the empowerment segment whereby women were taught various skills such as perfume, air-freshner, soap making, insecticide among others, as well as the procession of women representing all local government areas in Anambra state residing in Lagos.
  • Lack of sponsors stalls boxing championships

    Lack of sponsors stalls boxing championships

    Inability to secure sponsors to partner with the Sunny Clay Boxing Academy has stalled the proposed 2017 edition of the annual championship.

    Sunday Nwamuda, Head Coach of the academy, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    Nwamuda said that corporate bodies and individuals who promised to support the championships had failed to fulfill their pledges.

    “We have approached some corporate bodies and individuals with our proposals early enough and they promised to assist us, which made us to shift it to August, but there was no response.

    “I feel bad because the boxers, who will participate in the competition, have been coming for training since schools went on vacation with high expectations that the championships will hold as schedule,’’ he said.

    The coach said that some national boxing championships in the U-12, U-15, junior and senior categories were products of the academy that have been participating in the annual tournaments usually held in August at the National Stadium.

    “This championship has been consistent in the last 10 years with the support of corporate bodies, fans and boxers, both young and upcoming are usually looking toward it,’’ he said.

    Nwamuda expressed disappointment over the aborted championship, adding that the tournament would have provided an enabling environment for young boxers to showcase their skills.

    According to him, the academy, affiliated with the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), has been observing open training for the upcoming boxers at the gymnasium located within the National Stadium, Lagos.

    Nwamuda said, “The training is still ongoing. It is imperative to keep the boxers in form and engage them in summer holidays.

  • Twelve schools to battle in Milo Basketball tourney

    Twelve schools to battle in Milo Basketball tourney

     

    Twelve schools are expected to compete for honours in this year’s Milo Basketball Championship which kicks off Saturday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos.

    The five-day competition in both boys and girls categories will come to an end on Wednesday June 21 when the winners will emerge.

    The schools were grouped into two for boys and two for girls respectively during the National draws for the 19th edition of the tournament held on Friday in Lagos.

    In the boys category, Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigi Akoko, Ondo State, Government Secondary School, Minna, Niger

    State and General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola, Adamawa will do battle in Group A while Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja,

    St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Enonyi State and Greenlands Academy, Abeokuta, Ogun State will compete in Group B.

    In the girls category, Wesley Girls Secondary School, Lagos, Government Secondary School , Wuse, Abuja and Government Secondary School, Gboko, Benue State were drawn in Group A while St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, Government

    Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State and Yejide Girls’ Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State will lock horns in Group B.

    Speaking at the draw, Olufemi Akintola, category Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria Plc, said the national finals promises to be captivating as the best of teen basketballers will be playing to win trophies and honours for their schools and states.

    “As has always been our tradition at the Nestle Nigeria Plc, the 19th edition will not end at the national finals. The top 50 camp will hold after the National Finals. This is a three-day camp that will include players who showed exceptional skills during the games. They will receive additional grooming from local and international coaches. It has always been a rare opportunity for participants to be scouted by these coaches some of whom are from the NBA,” Akintola said.

  • Lagos Reps defend proposed takeover of National Stadium

    The House of Representatives is to investigate five years budgetary allocations to the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

    The lawmakers will also interface with the Federal government on the terms and conditions of the stadium takeover by Lagos State government.

    The decision followed the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the terms and conditions of National Stadium take over by Lagos State Government, presented by Danburam Nuhu (APC, Kano).

    The motion pitched Lagos lawmakers against their colleagues, with the former arguing that the proposed transfer was meant to save the edifice from rotting away due to lack of attention.

    At the end of the debate, the prayer seeking to investigate the takeover was dropped in favour of an interface with the federal government and investigation of the budgetary allocations to the stadium in the last five years.

    Nuhu argued that the stadium has been abandoned for several years, leading to the dilapidation of the edifice.

    He said it took the intervention of the National Sports Commission to renovate and upgrade the facilities to a world class stadium in 2009.

    “In order to keep up with the maintenance of the stadium, a huge budgetary provision is made annually and in 2016, for instance the sum of N400 million was appropriated for the purpose.

    “Being one of the critical assets of the country, there is a need to ensure that favourable terms/conditions are provided before the transfer of the stadium to Lagos State Government,” he said.

    However, Lagos lawmakers led by Abiodun Faleke said there was no need for the investigation of the takeover that has not taken place.

    On his part, Rotimi Agunsoye wondered why the case of the National Stadium is generating such emotion while other stadia were taken over in the past without controversies.

     

  • Plot to stop Lagos’ takeover of National Stadium on

    Plot to stop Lagos’ takeover of National Stadium on

    A legal obstacle to stop Lagos State’s plan to save the National Stadium is being planned, The Nation has learnt.
    A motion to stop the takeover of the troubled national edifice in Surulere, Lagos mainland by the state government may be moved at the House of Representatives today, sources said.
    Some “powerful interests” are believed to have lobbied National Assembly members to abort the Federal Government’s plan to hand over the stadium to Lagos.
    A source said: “The same people worked against the Lagos State Government when it initiated the plan to take over the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Had it been TBS was handed over to Lagos, the square would have been given total transformation.”
    The source regretted that those working against the takeover by Lagos State do not have a better plan to transform the stadium.”
    “They are only targeting the parcels of land within and around the National Stadium complex. They do not have any plan to really redevelop the facility which has been completely abandoned and become dilapidated,” the source added.
    Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung, who inspected the stadium along with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, may be invited by the lawmakers to explain the planned handover— all in a bid to to stop the state government from taking over the facility”.
    The source said the plan will be resisted.
    “The plan will not be allowed at all. It will be unjust and unfair to stop the process and deny Lagos State from taking over the facility which is within its territory. The Federal Government has already handed over Kaduna Stadium to the Kaduna State Government.
    “The Federal Government also handed over Enugu Stadium to the Enugu State Government and Calabar Stadium to the Cross Rivers State Government. Why should the case of Lagos State be different? Nigeria does not belong to one section alone. We will fight this out,” the source said.
    It was learnt that the powerful entities close to the National Assembly, Presidency and some lawmakers intend to compel Dalung to suspend the handing over process.
    The powerful interests who lobbied the lawmakers to stop the process may be seeking to take over the stadium on concession and are therefore keen to stop its handover to Lagos, it was learnt.
    The Lagos State Government last week declared its readiness to take over the National Stadium  from the Federal Government and transform it into a world-class sporting centre.
    The multi-purpose stadium, which comprises an Olympic-size swimming arena and a multipurpose arena used for basketball, volleyball, table tennis, wrestling and boxing matches, has been in a deplorable condition for years.
    Governor Ambode inspected the facilities along with Dalung, Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick and other top government functionaries.
    He decried the decrepit state of the edifice, saying it was unfortunate how things had degenerated.
    The governor expressed the state’s readiness to hit the ground running towards restoring the stadium’s past glory once it’s officially handed over to it.
    The governor said repositioning the stadium would create employment for residents in the state.
    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 15 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.”
    Dalung expressed confidence in the state’s ability to transform 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 that once there is fire disaster, there is no choice of liquid and any liquid that can contribute to extinguishing the fire must be mobilised including liquor. 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 the 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.”

  • Lagos set to take over National Stadium

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday said the state government would ensure that the dilapidated National Stadium is turned into an enduring world class facility rather than a waste.

    Ambode stated this when he spoke with journalists after a joint inspection tour of the stadium, purportedly abandoned about 11 years ago, with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.

    The concession bid for the National Stadium was first muted when Ambode paid a condolence visit to Dalung in Abuja on February 18.

    Ambode riding on the crest of the Federal Government’s decision to concession some of the national stadia to the resident state governments, asked for a stake by the state government.

    The federal government had already given the nod to the Kaduna State Government to manage the Ahmadu Bello Stadium and gave the same approval to Enugu State and Cross River Governments.

    Ambode said if the concession could pull through, the state government would ensure that the stadium is given a facelift.

    “I will like to bring the National Stadium back to life. The last time a game was played here was in 2005.

    “If this project pulls through, it will bring about the employment aspect of football and hosting of matches to the stadium.

    “We want to bring back the football culture of Lagos State to the National Stadium after its renovation,’’ the governor said.

    NAN