As President Muhammadu Buhari’s planned visit to flag off his re-election campaign on Friday, December 28 draws near, Akwa Ibom government has given reasons why Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo may not be free for the reception ceremony.
The stadium situated along Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard, Uyo has a sitting capacity of 30,000.
The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Akwa Ibom State, Ini Okopido, had in a letter dated December 20, 2018 applied for the use of the stadium.
The coronation of Supreme Council of Ibibio Traditional Rulers (Ifim Ibom Ibibio) had earlier fixed the coronation of the Patriarch of Ibibio Nation, the Oku Ibom Ibibio and President General of the Supreme Council of Ibibio Traditional Rulers (Ifim Ibom Ibibio), Nteyin Solomon Daniel Etuk JP, who is the Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium local government area of Akwa Ibom State, was the first hurdle against the President’s planned visit.
However, the coronation would now hold on Monday, December 31, 2018 at Asan Ibibio, Ikot Oku Ikono, Uyo against the initial date of Friday, December 28, 2018.
A letter signed byMonday Ebong Uko, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports stated that the next season of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is scheduled to begin on January 13, 2018.
“In view of this and the fixtures of home matches for Akwa United FC, it will be practically impossible to ‘regrass’ the stadium for pre-fixed matches, if used for non-sports activities, because of the nature of pressure that such events bring on the pitch.
“Additionally, the Maintenance Contractor (Julius Berger) had also advised that the present atmospheric conditions being very hostile to the pitch, the facility should not be used for non-sport activities during this harmattan period, so as to avoid inflicting long term or irreversible damage to the grass on the football pitch. This reason forced the relocation of the State’s Christmas Carols festival from the earlier proposed Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to the Uyo Township Stadium,” Uko said.
According to him, “Moreover, the stadium from its inception has been under a maintenance contract with Julius Berger Construction Company. They operate all the sensitive and non-sensitive components of the facility. They had closed for the year and proceeded on vacation (as it has been their usual practice) and are due to resume on January 7, 2018. The implication of this is that, the technical capacity required to activate the venue is currently unavailable, and this is not within our control.”
“The Ministry has however approved, in the alternative, the use of the Uyo Township Stadium for the event. We guarantee that the approved venue is in perfect condition,” the commissioner concluded.
Though the stadium situating along Udo Umana Street, Uyo has less than 20,000 sitting capacity, it is adjunct to the crowded Akpan Andem Entrepreneurial Market.
