21st November, 2012
The 18th National Sports Festival, tagged ‘Eko 2012’ is expected to begin in about six days, but there are fears that some events may not hold as scheduled because all the facilities are not ready.
The Local Organising Committee, LOC, of the Games has been working round the clock to ensure that the host state, Lagos, stages one of the best Games from next Tuesday, but it was observed that more than half of the facilities needed for the festival are still being put together.
P.M.News‘ reporters who visited many of the designated venues discovered that Lagos state has spent a lot of money for the refurbishment and building of facilities, but the venues are not fully ready to host the games.
The findings are beyond the hype in the news media, that “Lagos is Ready’’ for the festival. Infact, the reality on ground appears at variance with what had been officially communicated by the LOC. As at today, the refurbishment work was still ongoing at the centres to be used for either for competitions or residential accommodations.
Some of the venues that would host sporting events during the NSF include the Teslim Balogun Stadium, the National Stadium, both in Surulere, Rowe Park, University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology, all in Yaba.
The others are the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club in Onikan, Tafawa Balewa Square in Marina, College of Education in Ijanikin, Agege Stadium in Agege, Lekki-Epe Expressway and Abalti Barracks in Surulere.
There are no significant changes in terms of refurbishment of the facilities at some of the centres, while renovation works are going in the others.
Apart from the findings of our men, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that facilities such as pitches, indoor Halls, courts and the pools were undergoing one form of repairs or the other.
Three main Games Villages – the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology and Federal College Education (Technical) were still undergoing renovations.
The three hostels were largely being re-painted, even as broken window louvers, doors and mosquito nettings were being re-placed.
Some seats of toilets at the hostels were also being hurriedly re-installed in time to coincide with the Sunday, 25 November official opening of the Games Village set by the LOC. Among the facilities still receiving serious attention was the main soccer pitch at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, where some portions were being re-laid with the FIFA turf.
At the Aquatic Centre at Teslim Balogun Stadium, the pool that will host the swimming events had no water, but workers were seen cleaning and disinfecting the tiles at the base.
The buildings within and around the Teslim Balogun Stadium Complex were also being given a facelift, with re-painting still in progress.
It was observed that at least four of the estate blocks within immediate surroundings of the stadium were painted with three more blocks yet to be re-painted.
It was also gathered that some form of re-touching was ongoing at the Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sport Hall, where the matches of the Asoju-Oba Table Tennis got underway on Monday.
At the Federal College of Education (Technical), it was observed that light furnishing like installation of mosquito netting, refitting of keys were being tackled by carpenters at the site, in a bid to meet a deadline given to them by the contractor.
Besides, the carpentry works, the internal and external paintings were also being carried out in the seven designated hostels.
A check at the toilets revealed that the plumbing works had been completed as the toilets functioned well when the reporters tested the taps and the flushing systems.
At the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex in Yaba, the basketball and handball courts are almost completed for use, but the dressing rooms are yet to be ready.
It was observed that the surroundings of the venue need to be cleared of some rubbish generated from dumped materials and refuse.
At the Yabatech, it was observed that the five hostels; Bakassi, Post Graduate, Moshood Abiola, Augustus Aikhomu and Akata Halls of residences were still being re-painted.
The centre was being re-painted while paintings were also ongoing at the volleyball and handball courts that would be used for competitions too.
It was also observed that mattresses had been supplied to the Games village, but some of the toilets and doors to the hostel rooms were still being refitted.
Some of the hostels windows, ceiling fans and lightings and mosquito-treated nets are yet to be installed.
There was also heaps of dirt’s still adorning the surroundings of the hostels. There was even a strong stench still oozing out from some of the toilets yet to be fixed at some of the hostels.
However, Yabatech Facility Manager, Sanni Osagiede told P.M.News that his institution is ready to receive the states that will compete at the centre. He affirmed that Yabatech facilities are the best among the institutions in Nigeria, saying that Sunshine Football Club of Akure and Enyimba Football Club of Aba used their facilities for training during their CAF Continental Championships.
“Yabatech is ready to host the football event and we are happy that our institution will also accommodate many athletes during the championship,” he said.
When P.M.News visited Bakassi and Augustine Aikhomu Halls in Yabatech, there are some minor works to be done before the championship.
Some rooms need to be repainted, while the ceiling fans, rugs, laundry room, toilets and bathrooms still need to be upgraded to the required standard of the games.
At the National Stadium, the Knock-up Hall to be used for the table tennis event of the festival a “Fibre Elastic Zinc’’ was being installed to enhance illumination of the facility.
Reports say that the development is coming about few days to the commencement of the Games.
It was observed that part of the roof and the sides were replaced with the fibre elastic zinc.
The facility, which could not be effectively used for training of players and hosting of competitions in the past because of poor lighting, is being attended to by the Lagos State Government as part of its readiness to host the festival.