In a shocking and shameful twist, athletes at the newly renovated MKO Stadium in Ogun State were forced to run in complete darkness after the lights went off during the event.
This embarrassment was endured at the venue despite the reported ₦11.5 billion spent by Governor Dapo Abiodun for the 22nd National Sports Festival.
If this was the “state-of-the-art” facility we were promised, we might need to start googling to confirm if the meaning of the four-syllable word has changed.
This power failure is not just a slap on the face of every athlete who worked very hard to prepare for the festival, it is proof that failed promises by our politicians might never cease to exist.
Dapo Abiodun definitely has some explaining to do, not just for the disgraceful blackout that should never be experienced at such a prestigious national event, but for the alleged billions of naira expenses, with very little to show for it.
Just before the 22nd National Sports Festival started, Governor Dapo Abiodun was quoted as saying his state deliberately decided to host it just to prove to the rest of Nigeria that Ogun has grown in leaps and bounds since 2006, when it first hosted the event.
Speaking while addressing sports journalists in the Governor’s Office Press Centre in Abeokuta, Dapo Abiodun insisted that Ogun State is fully prepared to host the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to an event that they will not forget in a hurry.
According to him, it is going to be an Olympic-standard Games Village that will be remembered for a long time, and he cannot wait to flaunt how he has transformed the state’s tourism, culture and sports infrastructure in recent years.
“When we bidded to host, we were very deliberate about it. We have developed our infrastructure, improved massively on security, and other areas now than when Ogun first hosted in 2006. Now that we have moved into upgrading our tourism, culture and sports infrastructure, we believe that we have all that it takes to host a games like no other.
We are aware sports unite the people despite our various differences. This is why we are going to house and fed all the athletes coming to Ogun State for the Games in on place. It’s going to be a Games Village, and that’s like Olympics standard.
We have also put the best security and transportation in place to ensure smooth transit to and from the Games Village and the venues for all the events.
The LOC and government have been working day and night to put finishing touches to our preparations. I can boldly say we are ready,” he said.
