Onochie Anibeze
15 May 2008
Lagos — Nigeria's hosting of the World Under 17 Championship received a severe knock when news spread that the Ministry of Finance has chopped off the N2.6 billion earmarked for the rehabilitation of various stadia that would host the matches.
Money meant for the Olympic Games was also affected. we gathered that these monies were among the figures the National Assembly built into the budget which resulted into an impasse between the Presidency and the National Assembly.
It took some bickering for the matter to be resolved. Some of the projects that jacked up the budget were removed. The money for the world championship and stadium upgrading was affected. It meant that they were not originally in the budget.
Such matters were never in the budget during the Obasanjo years as President of Nigeria and that possibly informed why it was not in the original budget.
Most of the stadia may not meet the FIFA standards to host the matches especially after the world football governing body directed that artificial turfs be installed in all the stadia.
While the ministry of sports and some state governments banking on the N2.6 billion allocation to meet the FIFA standards, Delta State has gone ahead to shoulder the full responsibility of providing all FIFA requires at the Warri Township Stadium and other venue needs.
"We are ready. The state government has just approved what we need to fix the Warri Stadium to meet FIFA standard. We are going ahead to get everything ready. The contract for the artificial turf has been awarded and I can assure you that Warri will be ready before FIFA comes for their final inspection," Amaju Pinnick, Delta State FA chairman and chairman of the Warri sub-seat said.
"The thing going for Delta, which others don't have, is that we are not waiting for any assistance from the Federal Government or National Sports Commission to be ready for the championship. As I talk to you, the governor (Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan) has already set the pace in facilitating FIFA's requirements and we will be ready to host well and make impact," Solomon Ogba, the former sports commissioner in the state said, adding "some approvals have already been made by the governor for work to commence. I don't know of any other state or stadia that is so ready."
FIFA set standards when they last visited for inspection of facilities. The funding problem may jeopardize Nigeria's hosting as many of the venues have not added anything to the facilities on ground since FIFA's last visit. The current cash strap at the National Sports Commission stalled work. But Delta says they are different and would go ahead to fix their facilities.
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