Has National Stadium, Lagos been converted to Refuse Dump Site?

Not less than five refuse heaps have been spotted at different locations within the National Stadium complex, Lagos, leaving the sport city environment filthy and unhealthy for users of the facility.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the heaps of refuse are rather haphazardly located at the weightlifting gymnasium, opposite the mechanic workshop, behind the main bowl and by the legacy pitch as well as the boxing gymnasium/secretariat.

Some of the athletes and coaches, who use the environment for training, have decried the awful sight.

They separately told NAN that the present state of the complex was not good enough and could pose health hazards to users of the stadium.

Many people, sportsmen and women, as well as individuals troop to the facility in the evening, but mainly on weekend, for jogging and other forms of exercises.

A good number of them also patronise, on a daily basis, many of the drinking and relaxation joints within the complex. These are the people who are believed to generate wastes at the stadium.

Okechukwu Elendu, who claimed to use the facility for exercises, said the management ought to be more responsive in ensuring the cleanliness of the environment.

Elendu condemned the act of abandoning the heaps of refuse at strategic places within the complex, describing it as an eyesore.

“The stadium management is trying but it must do more in the area of refuse dumps. We are not supposed to see or smell wastes, it’s dangerous to health,” he added.

Ijeoma Iherobiem, an athlete, told NAN that the cleaners always come around in the morning hours to clean up the environment and end up soliciting for trash bins to evacuate the wastes.

Iherobiem said the place was usually messed up as a result of a lack of bins where people could dispose of wastes.

“The heaps constitute mainly sachet water, biscuit wraps, banana peels, empty cartons of wine and bottles,” she said.

[punchng]