From Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Kwara State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Muideen Olaniyi Alalade, has reinstated the commitment of the Kwara State Government on the reconstruction of the indoors sports hall of the Kwara state Stadium Ilorin.
The commissioner made this disclosure, in his office, when the State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN, visited him in his office to rejoice and congratulates him on his resent appointment.
Alalade, expressed his delight and happiness to the Sports writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) for bringing its powerful delegates to felicitate with him saying, “I felt honour , humble and proud to receive your delegation.
While promised to ever ready to work with the Association, he said the State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed is keen with the quick restoration and reconstruction of the Indoors sports hall recently damaged and condemned by the heavy storm that came to attacked the strong device through the downpour of rain.
On the fencing of the main bow of the stadium, the multi-million naira built Electric scoreboard and other effected areas within the stadium environment are Major concern of government.
He said “the reconstruction of the fence have been approved and awarded to the contractor that will execute the job by government but unfortunately, the delayed in the June Allocation caused the setback for the project.
Reacting to the closure of the Swimming pool the commissioner said, the Kwara state government is working assiduously to fix the small part of the swimming pool for business to start on it sooner, with assurance that work will start on the reconstruction of other parts.
On the the state of Kwara Football Academy, He said, the KFA is one of the best Academy in terms of standard in the country and government is not resting on its oars to ensure the improvement of that standard.
On the reconstruction of grassroots sports development, the Commissioner said, ” all arrangements has been concluded to organise a meeting that would involved stakeholders and technocrat in the state to give us ideals and advise valuable contributions that will foster development of Sports generally in Kwara State because Kwara remains the best when we talked of grassroots ports development’s in the country. He submitted.”
Earlier, in his speech, the Chairman Sports writers Association of Nigeria, Kwara state chapter, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Bibire, commended the state government thorough the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development for promoting grassroots sports in the state and for maintaining the good working relationships and synergy between SWAN and Government.
The Chairman said, the purpose of their visit was to come and identity and pledged their corporation with the Commissioner because.
He said, since your appointment, officially we are meeting for the first time and it is Mandatory for this Association to come and registered our congratulatory and explain some of the challenges facing sports in the State.
According to him, “When we look back precisely 1985, we would observed that our stadium edifice is one of the best in African, not only this the standards in terms of capacity can host all event in sports but it is unfortunate today that it is no longer the same because of poor maintenance of the Stadium.
“Looking at the fencing that was built round the stadium had almost collapsed in entirety and even the ultra-modern scoreboard that was built during the administration of Dr. Bukola Saraki was recently damaged by the storm ditto to other facilities in the stadium.
“On behalf of the SWAN, Kwara State, we are pleading to you sir, to use your good offices in fast tracking the repositioning of this equipment most especially the fence in the stadium, so as not to put the stadium in the state of jeopardy.
On the issue of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club, Bibire pleaded with Kwara Government to assist and supports the Club like other Club e.g. Sharks and Dovins of are enjoining government support, He said, it is not a crime having two formidable team in the same State.
He however, pleaded with the State government to place some of the staff of KFA who had improved themselves in various curses to be placed in appropriately in their normal cadres that will enhance their productivities and loyalty to the service of the academy.