Mehn! This is a real wilderness.

Sahara Reporters are causing another wahala again ooo...
Now, Uncle Joe will set up a committe to look into the committee that instituted the committe to look into the degradation of facilities at the National Stadium, Abuja.
And guess what their findings will be?
They will need N40billion to carry out maintenance when the actual cost of building a stadium is far less.
Guess what again?
The minister will bid for the contract using a surrogate company (probably his, just like Barth Nnaji) and will end up in more degrading state.
ı don't see us getting things right as long as clueless and irresponsible people keep controlling the economy and politics of this country.

How can someone be given money to do something, and he just keeps it all back to himself and then live a porsche and selfish life uncountable to no one.Here lies the answer to why we didn't win any medals at the olympics, cos if those athletes were actually using theses facilities, it wouldn't have gotten to this.They were never practising and expect to go to London and take the medals by storm.When Chinese athletes and athletes from all around the world start practicing from birth.As long as our leaders and people in govt have no one to account to, things will only get worse.....Nigerian youths stand up for your right!

What does it take to employ permanent staffs to maintain this stadium and we are saying there is no employment in the country. The Government want all the money to themselves.

In Nigeria some of us are very lazy
Our elder says lazy man can theft, can corrupt, can do all havoc things to get money.

No wahala all the leaf dey inside there...even ogu self

Na wa 4 u ooo how u go call dat place wilderness na forest joor abeg

This is sad. Nigeria has no government , we just have a bunch of selfish and self-centered hypocrites as people in government. The decay of National stadium would soon be the fate of d̶̲̥̅̊aτ̲̅ in Abuja. It is this same way our refineries decayed and they bring out outrageous budgets to "fix" these facilities. When will the Nigerian government be efficient? From the lowest rank in government to the highest rank (President),its the same trait they do express;corruption.

We will setup a committee to look into that/

This is another case for considering Nigeria's conversion to regional government. What job exactly is the Federal government doing apart from sharing the money? Can somebody tell me, please? How much longer shall we continue to suffer under an inefficient and inept "Government at the center"? Can we compare this to the Teslim Balogun stadium which is better managed by a mere state government...

We generally lack maintainance culture.
Shame to the ministry of sports who turned a blind eye to the best stadium in this hellhole country.

...and Jonathan lives there too.

Give it to farmers to cultivate rice or....

Op you have touched a sensitive issue. I've come to see the problem with managing the Abuja National Stadium as a problem revolving around corruption and incompetence. Shame indeed!

kai!see rot,i second that lagos state govt shld take it over,thats if they will let him.

Good Work.. This is what i called power of Technology/internet.. Can we have more upload please ? for stadiun or sporting facilities in your area/state/local government may be per chance someone will listen to us.
Let us play our part in wakening up the sharer of our common wealth , with these we can expose their hiden agenda/incompetency(at lease someone get paid every month for doing nothing).

This is how they left many of out facilities/infrastructure to decay and we have millions of people looking for job and
we have a lot of avenue to create job for our school leavers yet is same old story.(We lack maintenace culture!!! cant something be done . Has any government official missed is monthly pay for not doing his work ? NO, Has government played her part? NO.

Guide our leaders right GOD.

I lost my hope in the Federal Government a long time ago.

Its high time savvy industrialists took over, to prevent total decline of our facilities.

Shebi una see stadium? If dem invite Mikel now and E no gree come, una go dey talk rubbish.

@

Ji_sun_pack: Photoshop! una sabi say Sahara reporters na gossips.

This is not photoshop. The pics are understatement, if u watch the story on AIT Matter Arising or have the chance to see the level of deterioration, you go nearly weep. What a waste in this country. This reflects the state of the nation. when millions are allocated for maintenance of govt facilities, many sees it has their share of national cake and no one is held accountable because all involve are guilty as charged. God save nigeria

Ji_sun_pack: Photoshop! una sabi say Sahara reporters na gossips.

Photoshop ko! Photomarket ni! So you found it difficult to tell them apart

iykeG: What does it take to employ permanent staffs to maintain this stadium and we are saying there is no employment in the country. The Government want all the money to themselves.

Thank u for raisin the issue bt the stadium, like most government properties do av maintenance staff and managers who simply fail 2 do their job and in most cases, fail 2 turn up. Walk round most State secretariats and federal govt buildin (federal high court abuja exempted) and u won't believe resident/full time cleaners exist. Even some commissioners offices av spider webs hangin. There is the issue of "man management" 2 get anytig done in this country and there is the attitude of "no bi my papa get am" amongst most ie civil servant and public servants (politicians).

As I always say, don't just blame politician who cannot steal one naira without the support and active role of civil servants, who would help perfect the papers and bring the stealin formula. These civil servant steal and abet stealin under successive govts and embezzle more dan politician (not defendin them). Was it not a civil servant dan stole the pension money runnin into billions and opened 3 different bank accounts wit billions on the same dy.

So how does all my rantin relate 2 the topic? No matter who leads (or rules us), its the culture of doin things and attitude 2 our work that must change.

No wonder the return match between the Super eagles and Liberia has been slated for Calabar. Its easier 2 use another stadium dan fix up the national stadiums in abuja or lagos! Now u see my point. "No be my papa get am attitude"

Apart from blaming Mr President n Min of sports, What has the DG of Sports Ministry been doing for years now?
Patrick Ekeji has been the DG for years now and there's no visible improvement in both sports facilities and sports perfomance.

I make bold to say that what our political appointees embezzle are lower when compared with what our carrer Civil servants embezzle. These pple are criminals(which means that majority of our workforce are corrupt).

We need serious divine intervention in this country

HERE IS NATIONAL THEATER STORY

The Saturday, July 28 visit by the minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, has again resurrected the once-heated controversy over the status of the iconic edifice, which sits in Iganmu area of Lagos; Nigeria’s National Theatre Complex.

Commissioned in 1977 by then military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo having being started by his predecessor late General Murtala Mohammed, the structure was conceived as tribute of sorts to the first-ever Festival of Black and African Arts and Culture (FESTAC) hosted in the country that same year.

35 years into its existence, the National Theatre has remained a hot point in major arts and culture discourse revolving around its maintenance, ownership and commercial or artistic value, issues which came to verbval and physical exchanges when stakeholders clashed as the civilian administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had in 2007 handed over the edifice to the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) for onward transfer to private ownership by way of concession or even outright sale.

The move was based on recommendations by the National Council on Privatization (NCP) that the complex be privatized to save government from the huge costs annually incurred on maintenance on the complex.

The decision to privatize the National Theatre in 2007 under the tenure of Dr Ahmed Yerima as director general of the then combined National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria did not sink in well with the arts and culture practitioners whose violent agitations as some point appeared to have calmed down only with the Obasanjo administration seeming having settled for what appeared to be a partial commercialization of the complex.

The resolution tended to have appeased the artists community who still enjoyed accessibility to the facilities at the complex while allowing the management to commercialize some other facilities by partnering with the private sector by way of leasing, build, operate and transfer arrangements.

That arrangement seemingly restored normalcy up until the late Musa Yar’Adua administration which decided on the splitting of the National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria following the retirement of Yerima and assumption of office of Mr Kabir Yusuf under the new designation of General Manager.

Many observed in the sector believed this move by government was preparatory to the eventual privatization of the complex since the National troupe was no longer a drawback on that action plan, thus expressing the suspicion that it would only be a matter of time for the inevitable to take effect.

By subsequently appointing a general manager for the National Theatre, with a mandate to achieve an appreciable level of self-sustainability for the complex, Yusuf went about his business to the letter; hiking fees for some of services and facilities hitherto enjoyed for next to nothing by the artists’ community. In the thinking of Yusuf and his employers, the National Theatre was back in business.

The mandate to run the complex as a purely business entity may not have gone down well with the arts and culture sub sector private practitioners, who had ostracized Yusuf from the artists groups, as it may well have been forced down the throats of the artists who represent till date the complex’s biggest patrons, however, the thought of having the edifice entirely in private hands could also have calmed their frayed nerves after all.

Nonetheless,, the facility tour by Duke to the complex and the negatives unearthed by the visit have served to either indict government’s role in handling and subsequently adopting the partial privatization policy on one hand just as it even validates government’s claim that the facility is best run by a private investor, on the other.

While it could be rightly argued that the protests that greeted the 2007 move to concession or privatize the complex was based mostly on sentiments by those who felt aggrieved that government to a large extent has not even fulfilled its obligations to cater for the creative needs of the people, the sense in those protests was mostly informed by fears that the complex might end up in the wrong hands.

However, government’s position that it can no longer fund the maintenance of the edifice which budget was mounting and competing with lean resources to some extent held strong among objective views.

To describe the National Theatre complex as iconic would be stating the rather obvious. It is the face of Nigeria tourism and the last building standing, of sorts. With a Mainbowl that can sit an audience in excess of 5, 000 in addition to three cinema halls and a conference/banquet hall, there is no other facility in the country that ordinarily can match the National Theatre.

With half a decade gone so far since the commercialization process began and with billions of naira expended or rather sunk in on repairs and maintenance, and with no apparent or clear returns on investment, the federal government may have realised that the many years of policy summersaults by succeeding presidents and their serving ministers over the correct of action to pursue on the National Theatre is about to come back full circle and hit it in the face.

As much as the billions of naira channelled into the complex first in full scale under the Yerima tenure and then partially under the Yusuf tenure, in addition to the change of nomenclature, the visit by Duke revealed that all was not well still for the pride of Nigeria tourism.

Yusuf, to his credit may have returned the complex to 60 or even 70 per cent self sustainability, as well as recovery of the main complex itself, Duke’s visit still exposed the intolerable extent of decay and neglect at the facility, which again raised the controversial question of privatization.

The tour by Duke had officials of the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Ministry of Works, Lagos, National Theatre as well as Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, and members of the media.

With dilapidated structures still dotting most corners of the National Theatre, hoodlums and miscreants vandalizing installations, acquiring and subsequently annexing properties of the national Theatre in full glare of the Yusuf and his management and inflicting regular damages the perimeter fencing, invasion of the complex’s land, it was no surprise that many in the entourage had expressed concern in wondering if the theatre’s management have too much on their hands for anyone to even demand from them the extra job of policing the complex.

“The environment of the National Theatre has been compromised. It has become a habitat for hoodlums and other social miscreants,” Duke said.

Indeed, the National Theatre is not just home to artistes housing the famous artistes village, the edifice has also become to a sizeable population of domestic pigs who roam the premises with reckless abandon being farmed by an illegal occupant and who in turn has converted portions of the complex into a pigsty.

The complex is also a refuge to hoodlums who constantly break down the perimeter fencing erected by the theatre management to hide from the law after their nefarious activities in the area and who, according to Yusuf, are responsible for much of the criminal activities in the theatre and its suburbs.

“The situation is even better now. Before now when you come here, you’ll see dead bodies everyday of the week. Died somewhere else and dumped here. We’ve tried to erect a barricade along with the perimeter fence but each time we do that they break it open to sneak in and hide after they have committed their crimes,” Yusuf lamented.

Added to that is the dilapidated state of the structures housed within the theatre complex itself which drew condemnations from the Ministry of Works officials on the tour. Some of these include the national gallery of Art archives, the artistes village, library, theatre and many others.

In the view of many, the theatre should not remain in the state it is in already considering also that the Lagos State government’s soon to be commissioned Blue Line project which when completed as part of the light rail projects by the CCECC that terminates at Okokomaiko, would position the National Theatre as a drop/pick station for the rail services using its second gate at Ijora end of the complex.

Secondly, according to Duke, with 24 months ahead of Nigeria’s centenary celebrations, the edifice which represents much more to the country than just a structure has to be in shape for that milestone event, and also against the backdrop of the government’s recent directive to its various agencies and parastatals to address the decay and dilapidation of public structures.

“Government is not happy that most of its public buildings are in a state of decay and dilapidation and as such has directed all the agencies and parastatals in all ministries to forthwith embark on measures geared towards rescuing these structures and restoring the pride of the nation which these structures represent. The state of the national theatre is not acceptable to it. I doubt if any sound mind would even accept it. We have to explore ways of funding and returning its seemingly lost glory.

“The government is not happy and it would do no one any good if this structure collapses. The management of the National Theatre has done its best and it is still doing it best, but when you consider the budget the management is only enough to buy stationery or is even the budget for stationery in some other agencies and parastatals, you’ll appreciate the efforts they’ve put in so far,” Duke said.

Thereafter, inputs were canvassed by Duke on the way forward during which suggestions like revisiting the moribund cultural policy document with a view to implementing it as it caters for the adequate funding of the National Theatre.

Others also advised the management of the theatre to fully partner with the private sector by ways of leasing out lands on the premises to private investors, and returning to the masterplan of the complex, just as some were of the opinion that it has become imperative for government to separate the National Theatre from the National Theatre complex itself.

“This would be an option that should go down well with every stakeholder and which when implemented allows the theatre to be funded by interest groups in the arts sector in such a way as to keep the edifice as an art and cultural centre as well as a tourist’s attraction. Also, the National Theatre as a complex would see the engagement of private sector participation with a view to developing sections of the property and in turn generate revenue for government and remain self sustaining,” opined Mr. Tope Ogbeni-Awe, a travel and media consultant.

It should be noted that this is not the first time since the National Theatre status controversy began that government representatives had gathered interest groups to seek input from them on an acceptable and viable option for the edifice, hence, the apathy with which many took the session.

Nonetheless, government’s admission that it may not have taken the right decision is worthy of note going by the hordes of interesting suggestions put up during previous parleys with interest groups on an acceptable policy to engage in running the National Theatre but which regrettably were not adopted.

It would also be recalled that last July, last year, Duke on assumption of office and during a facility tour to the premises of the national Theatre, had described as ‘deplorable’ the state and condition of the National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos, just as he also reaffirmed the belief that the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan will begin with the culture sector.

Duke on the event of his maiden official facility tour of Lagos-based culture parastatals in his ministry, noted that the state of the National Theatre was unacceptable and did not represent a true image of a national icon on the country’s landscape which it should be.

That July, 2011 tour took the minister to the offices of the National Theatre (NT) management and the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), all located at the theatre complex, as well as to the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) in Broad Street, Lagos Island.

However, many are of the opinion that government’s move to reopen the old wounds inflicted by many months of battle for the soul of the National Theatre with a view to charting a viable and generally acceptable option for maintaining the iconic structure this time around comes with a well intentioned tag having perhaps realised the shortcomings of previous policies.

The National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, hosted the World Festival of Arts and Culture, popularly known as Festac 77 nearly 35 years ago. But that breathtaking edifice may pale into insignificance if something is not done about the shrubs, bushes and the wetland that surround it. It now serves as a dumping ground for all manner of wastes, as well as an abode for nefarious persons, reports SAMUEL AWOYINFA

Driving on Carter Bridge provides one with an eyeful. And when one is headed towards the Lagos Island, one cannot miss the imposing structure that sits pretty, as one looks to the right from the top of the bridge. That imposing structure is the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

The cultural edifice played host to the World Festival of Arts and Culture, popularly known as Festac 77, almost 35 years ago.

Another thing that one cannot miss is the wetland, which borders the edifice when one moves towards the Ijora end. Looking darkish, it absorbs all manner of water from the drains, streams and other sources. It is stagnant and it never dries, because even the rain water finds a ready reservoir here.

But the wetland now harbours all manner of objects, including used tyres.

On closer observation, the stinking pool, sorry wetland, is also surrounded by wild vegetation, a lorry park, and not less than two mechanic workshops.

In the park are articulated vehicles like trailers and trucks of different sizes. While some use it as a parking lot, others see it as a graveyard to abandon rickety trucks, buses and three-wheelers popularly known as Keke Marwa.

What used to be a walkway that linked the National Theatre from the Ijora end has caved in, with a portion submerged in the pool of water and covered by shrubs.

Though the walkways that lead to the Costain area and the miniature version of the National Theatre situated about 400 metres away are still intact, it requires real courage to use them when it is getting dark.

One could also see some people inside the shrubs and bushes, occupied with different activities. All manner of characters lounge and roam around this zone, among which are wild-looking young men puffing away on marijuana. Some have turned the surrounding bushes to their toilet, which they invade whenever they are pressed.

Even in broad daylight, some characters take a nap under the trees at the back of the cultural edifice. SUNDAY PUNCH had it on authoritative sources that people are attacked at random by hoodlums on that axis. And behind the National Theatre is the Lagos office of the News Agency of Nigeria.

A member of staff of the Agency, who does not want her name in print, tells our correspondent some members of staff have been attacked and dispossessed of their valuables while on their way home in the evening after the close of work.

Apart from the attack, she says, whenever there is any festivity, a lot of characters throng to the cinema halls, restaurants and fun spots in and around the area. In the process, some of them engage in unwholesome behaviour that leaves much to be desired, even in broad day light.

She recounts a sad experience some of their staff had suffered: “That place is very dangerous at night. Some hoodlums had used the cover of darkness to attack some members of our staff and other innocent people.

“Our organisation had written many articles on their nefarious activities, but it has yet to abate.

“Besides, I could still remember an episode on the last Valentine’s Day. I was on my way home in the evening, and on the open field, I saw a man and a woman who were probably in their late 40s doing their thing without bothering about whoever was passing by. It was a disgusting sight.”

But the management of the National Theatre is not folding their arms in despair in the face of these ugly occurrences. Currently, efforts are being made to secure the cultural edifice and its surroundings. Two gates are being erected — one to secure the Ijora end, while the other is to secure the entrance from the Iganmu end.

Again, work on the perimeter fencing of the entire landed mass has commenced. Furthermore, private security men and the police were seen, mostly in the building, at the popular abe igi where there are kiosks for those who want to unwind. Foods and drinks, including alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are in abundant stock for customers who troop in, in large number from 4:00pm.

A security guard with a private security firm was sighted inside the uncompleted entrance gate at the Iganmu end, but none was seen at the Ijora end when our correspondent visited on Tuesday and penultimate Tuesday respectively.

Also, on these two occasions, the General Manager of the National Theatre was said to have travelled to Abuja on official assignment.

Penultimate Tuesday, his personal assistant who did not give his name said, “I cannot provide answers to your questions, except the General Manager, who has travelled to Abuja. We are expecting him back in Lagos on Thursday.”

Again on Tuesday, our correspondent made another visit and this time, met with the Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Toyin Mohammed, who also said the GM had travelled to Abuja.

He however said the mugging by hoodlums who roamed and lounged around the National Theatre had reduced drastically. He explained that the cultural edifice now has a full-fledged police station, as opposed to police post which was hitherto there.

“The cases of people being attacked around here have reduced drastically, because we now have a full-fledged police station. It is situated very close to those kiosks outside. Apart from the policemen, a private security firm has also been engaged to complement the policemen. You can see, they are all over the place.”

Mohammed also said the area where the wetland was located did not belong to the National Theatre, and that whatever was found there should not be linked to them.

Reacting to a photograph of the wetland area published in THE PUNCH on its back page of Wednesday, February 1 edition, and linked to the National Theatre, he said: “That place does not belong to us; it is called Ijora-Causeway, and not National Theatre.

“It is the vulcaniser working around that place who dumped used tyres in the wetland. The National Theatre management spends a lot of money to keep our surrounding clean.”

But when reminded that the entrance gate on the Ijora-Causeway end was being constructed by the National Theatre management, he stated where the gate was located was immaterial.

When contacted on the issue of the wetland, the Director, Public Relations, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, said the pool was called a wetland, because it absorbs water from the rains, drainage and other sources.

[quote author=olivertwist] :oIf they are not using the pitch for sport anymore, why can't they allow farmers to plant cassava on it. At least, it will reduce the price of ***** and cassava bread. [/quoteh

This is sad, so this is what our national stadiums have turned into. I weep for my country nigeria.but i ask,what r the banks in nigeria doing for nigerians apart from making money from our money? Here in southafrica there are 4 banks and these banks have a lot they do for sports. UBA does not own or sponsor anything at home,union bank,zenith what r they doing for nija sports. Almost all the big companies here are into on project or the other just so they can get involved in south african sports. Nigeria i sorry sorry ohhhh. No wonder the super eagles now play their home matches at calabar
hi

Hey chimp, no burger to flip yet?

megxo: DEN WOR WAS WIF UR pHOTOSHOp STATEMENT ABOVE?

To be honest I don't give a s**t about Abuja, to me it's Land of Thieves, a state that's falsely built.....what goes around comes around.

There's a popular saying in UK " why fix it if it's not broken" National stadium in Surulere is the perfect home of football in Nigeria but this clueless Leaders create an avenue for stealing in Abuja as usual.

What a shame Authority Stealing is killing our Nation.

The normal naija culture of mismanagement .........mtchwwwwwwwwwwww

. OMG cnt stop laughing, even d garri im drinking juz fell dwn , is dis d way forward..... even d field in my strt is better dan dis

I wish I was never nigerian.... See the state of the capital stadium and they plan on hosting the world cup?!!! All stadiums should be closed down in nigerian and the sport ministry probed

so where did the failed Olympians train ?

Seriously,this land could have been leased to a farmer to plant cassava or for event management.

Clueless phools!

musiwa7: i think Fashola should take over the national stadium in lagos and repair it .. instead of waiting for the nigeria govt.. when you know the nigeria govt is a useless govt. you dont wait and allow things like this to fall apart.. And what fashola as to do,, Is that the lagos state govt pays some taxes to the federal govt. they just deduct the cost of repairing the federal govt properties from it.

lagos state govt wanted to buy the national stadium Surulere but Federal govt refused. Just because lagos is an ACN state.