The attention of the government has been called to the ongoing wastage of state resources worth billions of naira at the Jos stadium due to a stoppage in the construction work.
The stadim during construction
Some imported sports equipment worth N1.78 billion, yet to be fixed at the Jos multi-billion naira stadium on Zaria Road, are rotting away following stoppage of work at the site according to Premium Times.
Topmost among the equipment are the two-German-made scoreboards, which arrived at the construction site since November 2014. A source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos that the one year warrantee given by the manufacturers of the score boards would expire by Oct. 31.
“We are aware the German manufacturing company had written the contractor of the stadium, BCC Tropical Nig. Limited, and the Plateau state government.”
The company warned the contractors against the consequences of keeping the equipment unused within the warrantee period.
“The German firm is expected to be responsible for assembling and maintenance of the scoreboards within the warrantee period, ’’ the source further disclosed.
According to the source, the score boards came in panels, which when allowed to stick together for a long time un-assembled, may render them useless.
It said that aside the unfixed equipment, the pitch, completed since 2012 and handed over to the ministry in 2013 for maintenance, “is also under threat ’’.
“It’s unfortunate that since last March, when the contractor stopped work at the site, there has not been any maintenance work carried out on the pitch, ’’ the source lamented.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the stadium, reported that the rubber pellets and sand keeping the pitch grasses standing and in good condition, had been washed away by rain.
The pitch is currently ravaged by reptiles having a field day as soldiers guard the stadium against burglars.
Government representatives when contacted accepted their awareness of the deplorable state of the stadium as well as the expensive facilities which are being stalled by a N10billion loan application which is yet to be granted to complete the facilities at the stadium.