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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
over the years, the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has played host to several sporting events, including international matches. The stadium, however, came into the limelight in 2006, when it hosted the national sports festival tagged Gateway Games 2006. Apart from that, the stadium, serves as the home ground for the state owned football club, Gateway FC.
However, the sporting edifice, which replaced the Muda Lawal Stadium, Asero, also in Abeokuta, hosts many pubs and relaxation joints. The pubs, which started gradually by one or two operators in some of the shops built around the main bowl, have grown in leaps to over 40 large bars, where fun seekers throng to, particularly on weekends.
Like “open” clubs, the joints inside the stadium organise overnight gigs. Live bands and DJs find new havens, while night crawlers find a solace. Ancillary ventures such as carwash centres, barbeque outlets, local herb centres known as “jedi,” boutiques and canteens, started to spring up. And before long, “Stadium,” as it is popularly known and called, had become a microcosm of a business hub.
The centre, built to attract and host sporting events, gradually turned into fun arena, probably due to the dearth of sporting activities at the stadium. In fact, the place was once rated by one of the breweries in Nigeria as the largest single selling point in Nigeria. With this rating, however, the stadium fun centres reached their apogee!
But trouble started when allegations of ritual killings, drug peddling and prostitution began to fly in the air. In 2011, Governor Ibikunle Amosun irked by the report of discovery of a headless body of a lady at a location inside the stadium, ordered for the comprehensive sanitisation of the place. The directive made some pub owners to move out from the stadium, while social activities in the place were reduced. But few years later, life began to creep back into the centre. At this time, bigger outlets began to surface and old ones began to reinvent, to measure up to the standard of the new entrants.
The centre regained its status as number one fun spot in Abeokuta, but as the pub operators began to rake returns on their investment, the government hammer came again. This time, it hit came down harder!
Government’s hammer
On September 7, the state government announced the suspension of trading and other non-sporting activities at the stadium, effective from Wednesday, September 13, 2017. It also ordered all traders and shop owners within the premises to move out their valuables before the said date.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa, made the announcement at the end of a meeting with traders at the stadium complex and security chiefs, held in his office. He said all stakeholders agreed that social vices, such as teenage prostitution, drug trafficking as well as noise and environmental pollutions, have assumed an alarming dimension, which must be tackled head-on.
He also announced the constitution of a Joint Task Force, comprising the traders, security agencies and government, saddled with the responsibility of finding lasting solutions to the trend. He, however, assured that the complex would be reopened to trading and non-sporting activities as soon as the task force fashioned out ways of solving the identified problems:
“We all agreed that problems at the stadium have become unacceptable and must be immediately addressed. In the mean time, we have all also agreed that all non-sporting activities be suspended in the stadium, with effect from Wednesday, September 13, 2017, pending the decisions of the Joint Task Force.” He noted that government was mindful of the fact that they earn their living from the facility and as such would not subject the traders to any undue hardship.
In their respective responses, traders including Messrs Sofela Sodunke, Rasak Olalekan and Lateef Babatunde, expressed delight at the meeting and pledged their readiness to cooperate with government to restore normalcy and decency to the stadium.
The traders went to work
After the meeting with the government, the traders went to work. In collaboration with the police and men of vigilance service, the teenage prostitutes were reportedly rounded up and taken to court for prosecution. Apart from that, bushy locations allegedly serving as hide outs to criminals within the stadium were cleared. Similarly, security operatives were engaged by the traders to provide security within the premises, while patrons are adequately frisked for any dangerous drug substances.
24-hour evacuation notice
Just as the traders and joint operators were heaving a sigh of relief, government, which had earlier reached agreement with the traders on temporary halt of business in order to restore sanity and order at the stadium, on Tuesday, September 12, made a U-turn. It issued a 24-hour notice of total evacuation to the traders.
Afraid bulldozers could roll in if they delayed, the traders started dismantling their outlets. In the exercise, about 48 centres were affected. When Daily Sun visited the stadium last week Wednesday, carpenters, welders and others, were seen removing the roofs and other fittings at the affected joints. Vehicles were also stationed, to ferry the dismantled items to various destinations, while pub owners gathered in groups to discuss the situation.
With a gloomy face, a joint operator, Tunde Fashogbon, castigated government for throwing his nine-year investment down the drains in just a day. He said government actually reneged on the agreement it reached with the stakeholders, which he said was to suspend trading activities till some level of sanity and decorum could be established at the stadium.
He explained that since the meeting, however, operators of joints at the stadium, had, in collaboration with the police, put measures in place to check teenage prostitution and drug peddling.
Apart from that, they came together and cleared the bushy locations within the stadium, where nefarious activities could be taking place, while security operatives were engaged for the complex.
He disclosed that he invested N500,000 in the business when he started nine years ago, adding that he recently invested N3million to upgrade his outfit:
“To say the that I am shocked by the evacuation notice is understatement. I have been devastated! Over 20 people working for me have just been thrown into labour market. The government just said business would be suspended for three days and we were even assured by the SSG at a meeting that nothing would happen to our business. Look at this now. Where will I go from here? Where do I start again? My brother, I am beyond shock, I hope I get over this set back.”
To Femi Amosu, an associate of the owner of the newly opened Sicily Bar and Lounge, an investment close to N20million is gone. He said the owner of the pub, opened on September 1, identified as “Small,” was hit by the development:
“Though government claimed teenage prostitution and other vices were happening at the stadium, I believe there are better ways to curb that. Here, we ensure sanity at all times with the help of bouncers. Parking arrangement was made and the ladies were told not to hang around here.
“We even arrested some drug dealers and prostitutes and handed them over to the police. Okada riders were always frisked by security personnel, all on our expenses. This is to abide by the government directive.
“By ordering us to evacuate from this place, over 500 people means of livelihood have been disrupted. These include caterers, servers, gardeners, suppliers, security people and what have you, who work in over 48 joints in this stadium.
“For instance, there is a particular SS2 Two student who was working here to cater for his education and that of his brother. What do you think will be his lot now? To me, government has not been fair to us.
“We were shocked by the government’s decision. Many have lost their means of livelihood. It is even more unfortunate for the owner of this place as he is a die hard supporter of the governor.”
A brother to the owner of one of the largest joints at the stadium, who craved anonymity, informed that his brother, recently paid N3million tax into the coffers of the state government. He added that to expand his business, he equally coughed out N2million few days to the evacuation notice, to acquire a joint beside him.
Government explains
Explaining the rationale behind the evacuation notice, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Afolabi Afuape, said government acted in good faith. According to him, the security report indicated serious criminal activities, ranging from teenage prostitution, drug peddling and other vices, were ongoing at the stadium, which must not be handled with kids’ gloves.
He said it was true government wanted to just suspend trading temporarily to restore sanity at the stadium, but the continued warning and advice by security agents, made the government take the “decisive but necessary action. I want to assure you that government, sincerely feels the pains of the affected people, but the step became imperative in the face of security threats emanating from the sports complex. Don’t forget that the government is also losing revenue by asking them to evacuate the ambience of the main bowl, but security of lives and property of citizens supersedes any monetary gains.
“It was even out of government’s magnanimity that they were asked to move their things, we did not intend to demolish. In fact, the government has intention of relocating them far from the main complex. All over the world, pubs are operated away from the stadium, but these are our people trying to make ends meet, but like I told you, criminal activities going on in the stadium, has reached a dimension that must nipped in the bud before it escalates.”
People speak
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to trail the evacuation order by the government. A civil servant who does not want his name in print, condemned the government’s action. He said many criminals would be made out of people, especially youth, whose means of economic survival are affected by the evacuation order. He bemoaned the state government for killing other people’s jobs when it cannot create any.
Biodun Oluwagbo, a self-employed youth, said rather than giving the joint operators a red card, adequate security measures should have been put in place at the stadium. He added that the complex, if left unoccupied, could serve as breeding ground to criminals.
But for Mrs. Abiodun Ijaola, a teacher, government’s decision should rather be lauded. She said as a secondary school teacher, she heard about situations whereby young girls were arrested at the stadium for prostitution. She noted that as a mother, the situation was not only disheartening, but capable of breeding future criminals. She, however, urged government not to relent in its bid to rid state of any criminal tendency.
