Yakubu Gowon Stadium Remains Under Lock-Commissioner

The Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, will remain a no-go area for sports activities till further notice and athletes and other sports persons looking for training competition and recreational facilities would have to seek other alternatives.
This was the position of the Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Hon Boma Iyaye while speaking to sports journalists on Monday after the inauguration of the committee for the second edition of Governor Wike Pre-season football tournament in Port Harcourt.
Hon Iyaye was reacting to calls by some persons on radio for government to re-open the stadium for sports activities. He said that since the stadium was put to use as an isolation centre for the COVID-19 pandemic, government did not want to put citizens, particularly, sports men and women in harm’s way by opening the facility to the public.
“we want to plead with our sports-loving men and women and those that usually go to the facility to exercise themselves to understand the situation. “we have a lot of other facilities around, football fields and play grounds which they can use for their exercise. We cannot allow people who have not been affected by Coronavirus to be put at COVID-19 centre, we cannot do that.
For now, they should bear with us, the Yakubu Gowon Stadium is isolated, we plead with all, at the appropriate time after COVID-19 leaves the state and Nigeria, we’ll open it again to the public. For now, people should steer clear of the stadium”, said Iyaye.
It would be recalled that the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, which pitch has been regrassed has been earmarked as home venue for Rivers United and Rivers Angels for their domestic and continental engagements this season.

By: Gabriel Nwanetanya