Fulani herdsmen continue ruin of National Stadium 3 days before National Sports Festival

The 2018 National Sports Festival may be postponed again with reports of herdsmen visiting the Abuja stadium.

Fulani herdsmen continue to ruin the National Stadium Abuja with just three days left to the 2018 National Sports Festival.

The National Stadium Abuja has reportedly become a grazing ground for herdsmen as the countdown continues for the 19th National Sports Festival.

The National Sports Festival is supposed to be Nigeria’s source of talent discovery in sports but has been postponed six times fiesta since the Eko 2012 fiesta held in Lagos.

 

The Abuja stadium constructed to replace the national stadium in Lagos for 2003 All Africa Games has a main bowl capacity of over 60,000.

According to a report by the Guardian, the stadium is way behind in what is required to hold successful national games.

The $360 million stadium is now at the mercy of herdsmen according to report a  staffer discussed the through the state of the stadium which is described unlike the images circulating around social media that the stadium is in perfect condition.

 

The report said, “This Abuja National Stadium as well as in Lagos and other Federal Government owned stadia across the country have been cut off from electricity supply for over three years now.

"The budget for the maintenance of the Federal Government owned stadia was ridiculously slashed by the National Assembly, thereby rendering our maintenance plans meaningless.  

“You can imagine the National Assembly mutilating the sports ministry’s budget such that what is left cannot maintain one of the Federal Government stadia.

 

"That is the situation currently confronting the ministry. The National Assembly is the main problem and cause of infrastructure decay in the sports sector.”

The Nation Sports Festival is still set to go ahead as Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has already given the go ahead.