The All Progressive Congress Gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised a massive turnaround for sports in the state, if he is elected into power at the gubernatorial elections on March 2.
The former commissioner, who made the declaration at an interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos State chapter at the Sports City on Thursday, decried the poor state of sports in the state in recent years.
Sanwo-Olu reminisced on the days when Lagos dominated the sports scene in the country during the time of teams like Stationary Stores, ACB and Leventis United. Today the state’s representatives can barely hold their own at national competitions.
If elected the governor of Lagos State, the APC man has said he will delegate funds and erect organizational structures to provide and restore sports facilities to their original states.
Sanwo-Olu noted that the development of sports in the state is dependent on the availability of modern facilities to compete favorably with other states in the country, and return Lagos to its original place of honor in Nigeria.
Speaking to the gathering on what was originally designed and constructed to be Nigeria’s prime stadium, the gubernatorial candidate said his administration would explore all available options to obtain ownership of the National Stadium from the federal government, so the state can begin the process of revamping the behemoth structure.
“We would explore all options. The Lagos State government has been engaging the federal government through the means of dialogue on the issue of the National Stadium but the efforts have not yielded the desired change of ownership. We cannot allow such a monumental sports edifice to remain fallow because talents are being wasted and resources are being lost. We will also look at the legislation, through our members in the House of Representatives and Senate, so that a lasting solution can be reached.”
Featured image source: Pulse