Anambra State government has ordered the removal of all illegal structures and shanties sited within and outside state’s stadiums.

The order involved traders and commercial bus drivers, who had occupied the state’s township stadiums for private businesses.

Tony Oli, chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission, who issued the orders, noted that it was regrettable that the state had lost some sporting facilities over the years.

Oli, who was on inspection tour of some stadiums on June 20, to ascertain the condition of various sports facilities across the state, vowed to recover the stadiums.

The chairman in the company of directors in Sports Ministry inspected the Awka Township Stadium, Otuocha Stadium, Chuba Ikpeazu, Godwin Achebe, stadiums in Ogidi and Ekwulobia.

He said he was dissatisfied at the deplorable condition of some of the facilities; as some had been repossessed illegally by unknown individuals for their private businesses.

Oli, then, bemoaned the poor management of the facilities by the state’s Sports Managers and called for immediate shut down of the combat training centre at the Awka Township Stadium.

According to him, Governor Willie Obiano has given him a mandate to recover the state’s sports facilities and to revamp them with immediate effect.

“This inspection has given me the opportunity to have first hand information of these facilities. From what I have seen, there is need to swing into action immediately.

“They are not befitting for the state, we must recover them and bring in modern facilities and capable Managers,’’ Oli said.

In response to questions from sports journalists, Oli noted that government had finalised arrangements to meet stakeholders in the sports sector.

They are school managers, education commissioner, the chairman, Anambra State Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, and other relevant education agencies in the state, to harmonise school calendar and encourage sporting competitions among schools.

“We have opened up a contact in Spain as Technical partners for our football academy.

“We will establish a football academy with modern standards to meet international best practices.

“This will encourage and promote sponsorship, as well as boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.

“Governor Obiano is determined to create windows of revenues to make the state financially independent,’’ Oli said.

– June 22, 2018 @ 13:11 GMT |