By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
KOGI State House of Assembly, has called for the rehabilitation and equipping of the 25,000-Seat capacity Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, to an international standard.
The call was contained in a resolution of the House arising from the passage of a motion originated by Hon. Sunday Daku (PDP-Bassa) on the floor of the Assembly at Thursday plenary sitting in Lokoja.
The House also directed the State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to evacuate all illegal occupants within the Stadium premises and mandated the Ministry to provide security for the protection of the stadium against further vandalisation.
Hon. Sunday Daku while soliciting the support of his colleagues for the motion said the Confluence Stadium was constructed and equipped by former Alhaji Ibrahim Idris with the aim of harnessing talents of the teeming youths in all areas of sporting activities.
He said that the initiative also aimed to provide meaningful employment/engagement by reducing youth restiveness and exploit its potential as a revenue yielding venture for the State Government.
Hon. Daku however regretted that the stadium has fallen into disrepute with its present deplorable condition as a result of wanton vandalisation and dilapidation of its facilities.
He noted that the deplorable condition of the 25,000-Seat capacity Confluence Stadium Complex needed immediate intervention of the State Government to rehabilitate and equip it with Modern Facilities.
“Whereas it is pertinent to state that the Stadium Complex has no security personnel to protect the facilities in the stadium, the Stadium perimeter fence has fallen off, the electrical installation, power generating plant and all indoor sports hall facilities have been vandalized.
“The environment is so bushy with reptiles moving freely within the surrounding and illegal occupants have taken over the Stadium Complex posing Security threats to people living around Zone 8, Lokoja”, he said.
Hon. Daku, a former Director of Sports in the state, expressed concern that the State owned football clubs: the Confluence Queen FC and the Kogi United FC are being denied hosting rights of home matches fixtures.
He regretted that the clubs were being denied hosting rights during National League Season and National Sporting events because of the deteriorated state of the Confluence Stadium Complex.
He recalled that the 25 members of the Assembly on Sunday 26th January, 2025, as part of the celebration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s One-Year-In-Office played a novelty football match against the Executive Arm on the pitch of the stadium.
That novelty match, he said, gave both the Legislators and the Executives a firsthand information on the dilapidated state of the Stadium Complex, adding, “We were all there and we all saw it by ourselves.”
Hon. Bode Ogunmola (PDP-Ogori-Magongo), Seconding the motion, said it was an aberration for the state-owned clubs, Kogi United FC and Confluence Queens FC to play their homes matches at Ilorin.
Ogunmola described the situation as unfortunate as he urged the State Government to decisively wade into the matter to reactivate the stadium.
In supporting the motion, Idrees Aliyu Maikudi (APC-Koton-Karfe) stressed the need to draw the Governor’s attention to the dilapidation of the stadium, to salvage the situation especially as it affects sports development in the state.
Hon. Abu Jibrin (APC-Ajaokuta) who expressed pity for the state Commissioner for Sports, expressed dismay at the level of vandalisation and dilapidation of facilities in the stadium including the pitch, electric cables and installations and even the toilet.
Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf said the stadium should be very attractive and attractive enough to draw youths to sports and lure them away from crime and illegal activities.
Following overwhelming voice votes from members at plenary, the motion was passed with the issuance of the resolution. (Ends)