By Igbaugba Ehigimetor
The reconstruction
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the stadium on Tuesday reported that workers were seen working in earnest at the stadium.
It would be recalled that the Edo Government had in 2018, commenced the reconstruction of the stadium
The stadium was last reconstructed in 2000 by the Lucky Igbinedion administration, for the hosting of the National Sports Festival in 2000.
Femi James, Site Engineer for Peculiar Ultimate Consult, the contractors handling the reconstruction, told NAN that the entire stadium will be holistically renovated to be of international standard.
“Apart from the entire stand which will be covered, the old seats will be replaced with new ones, while natural grass will also be used to replace the artificial one.
“The State Box will be extended to accommodate more VIPs.
“There will also be a specially-built press gallery, modern dressing rooms, as well as better lightening system and a score board at the main bowl,’’ he told NAN.
The site engineer had in December 2018, told NAN that the job would be delivered by the end of January 2019.
“We have attained 75 per cent completion and should be completing the entire process by end of January, 2019,’’ he had assured.
NAN, however, reports that while the seats have been delivered, only a fraction of the stadium now had the seats installed.
Similarly, while the re-grassing is also progressing, the steel platform which would house the roof has been completed but it had yet to be covered with the roof.
On what to expect upon completion, James said,“We are expecting a FIFA standard, from the pitch, grass and roofing.
“We are not just roofing, we are also covering the sides,’’ he told NAN.
The Edo Government is renovating the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, to enable it to meet international standards.
The 20,000-capacity sports arena is being replaced with modern seats, its tartan tracks and offices will be modernised, while the synthetic grass in the pitch would be replaced with natural grass.
The gymnasium and the lawn tennis courts would also be upgraded to international standard.
The stadium, formerly known as Ogbe Stadium, had undergone various forms of renovation under past administrations in the state.
Its last major one was in 2002, as part of preparations for that year’s National Sports Festival, which the state hosted.
The stadium is named after a two-time governor of the state, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia.
Ogbemudia served as Military Governor of the then Mid-Western state between 1967 and 1975, before being elected as Governor of the defunct Bendel state in 1983. (NAN)
