Ongoing furore over the abandoned situation of Agege Stadium in Lagos State has taken another dramatic and potentially dangerous turn, as the firm initially thought to be in charge of renovation work at the edifice has denied being in charge of the task.
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In continuation of a no-holds-barred investigation by sports247.ng that began at the start of this week, the latest angle to the story indicates that two other stadiums owned by Lagos State government are equally in danger of structural collapse.
This warning is part of a down-to-earth expose by Mr Ebi Egbe, the CEO of Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited, who pointed out that a shoddy job is being done at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and further revealed that Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan has not been maintained in three years.
Egbe stated categorically in a telephone interview with sports247.ng that he actually began the renovation work at Agege Stadium based on a gentleman’s agreement, but said he had to withdraw due to an alleged breach of trust by government officials.
He expatiated: “I did all the sub-base, and we were not paid, not even an award letter was given us. So, I’m not the contractor handling Agege Stadium.
“They should try and get the facts right. You can ask the sports council: Who is the contractor? Is it Monimichelle or who?
“When they give you the company’s name, do a Google search on that company and check whether they have done pitches before.”
He went on to categorically identify the company (name withheld) that was saddled with the task of putting Agege Stadium back into shape three years ago, but alleged that the same firm has also failed with Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere and Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan.
“They are the guys that did Adamasingba Stadium, but they failed. On the opening day, when it rained, water was coming through the roof.
“They are the same guys handling Teslim Balogun Stadium. You can Google them to see what they have done; but you won’t see anything about them.
“What they did at Adamasingba Stadium is rubbish. The officials are just greedy and self-centred,” Egbe further alleged.
He then turned his focus on Mobolaji Johnson Arena and raised alarm bells over the extensive use to which the pitch and terraces have been put in recent months, which he believes is not commensurate with the maintenance needs of the imposing edifice.
“They should try and maintain Onikan Stadium’s turf and stop chasing shadows.
“Onikan Stadium turf has not been maintained for almost three years, and now it’s bad. What else do you expect when they are owing the contractor money?
“Onikan Stadium is not finished. It still has structural deficits. That’s why CAF does not approve that stadium.
“They still have structural work to do there, and it has not been maintained for three years,” Egbe concluded emphatically.
