Oyo APC wants anti-graft agencies to probe Makinde over N5.5bn spent on Ibadan stadium
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to launch a probe into the circumstances surrounding the award and execution of the reconstruction project of the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, the state capital by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, with a view to unmasking the brains behind the alleged fraud and making them to answer for “their crimes.”
APC spokeman in Oyo State, Mr. Olawale Sadare, said in a statement that the latest call on the anti-graft agencies came against the backdrop of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) classification of the stadium as unsuitable and unacceptable to host the matches of the Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) as the team prepared for their first continental engagement in the last 28 years.
Sadare issued the statement on Tuesday, expressing regret that the development was “another revelation on the penchant which the Makinde administration has for delivering substandard projects at inflated cost.”
“Just last week, a portion of a road project which was commissioned by the governor in Bodija market a few days earlier was washed away by erosion. The development was not only a national embarrassment, as it was also shameful and disappointing, particularly at a time when the return of Shooting Stars to continental competition should have provided an opportunity for Oyo State to showcase its renovated sporting infrastructure to a wider African audience.
“Shooting Stars, who secured qualification for continental football after about 28 years, have reportedly chosen Abeokuta as their home venue for the CAF Confederation Cup campaign, after the Lekan Salami Stadium was disqualified to host the matches, because the current condition of the facility did not reflect a good fraction of N5.5 billion purportedly spent on the renovation of the facility by Governor Makinde.
“As a matter of fact, everyone in the state should ask Governor Makinde to explain the circumstances surrounding the stadium’s failure to secure approval for the CAF Confederation Cup and provide details of the funds committed to its renovation and upgrading.
“This should be followed by another call on the state government to take urgent steps to ensure that the Lekan Salami Stadium meets international standard and is capable of hosting major continental competitions in the future.” APC stated.
