Adamasingba: Oyo APC Youths Blast Makinde Over 3SC CAF Relocation Despite N5.5bn Renovation

The Oyo State APC Youth Wing has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over the relocation of Shooting Stars Sports Club’s (3SC) CAF Confederation Cup home match from Ibadan to Abeokuta, describing the development as another failure of the administration.

The Oyo APC Youth Leader, Olalekan Glory, in a release made available to newsmen said it was disappointing that the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, could not meet CAF requirements despite the government reportedly spending over N5.5 billion on its renovation.

Glory said the development raised serious questions about accountability and value for money, particularly as the Makinde administration had repeatedly presented the stadium renovation as one of its flagship achievements and claimed the facility had been upgraded to international standards.

He challenged the state government to explain how the reported N5.5 billion was spent, the scope of work approved, who supervised the project and why a supposedly upgraded international-standard facility could not satisfy CAF requirements.

The APC youths therefore called for an independent technical and financial audit of the renovation project, demanding that contracts, expenditure records, technical specifications, inspection reports and certification documents be made available for public scrutiny. They also urged that anyone found responsible for shortcomings in the project should be held accountable.

Glory said the consequences of the relocation went beyond football, noting that hotels, restaurants, transport operators, traders, vendors and other businesses in Ibadan had lost the economic opportunity that would have come with hosting a continental fixture.

He also expressed concern over the plight of 3SC supporters, who would now have to travel to Abeokuta to watch what should ordinarily be a home match, thereby incurring additional transportation costs and other inconveniences.

According to him, public infrastructure should be judged by its functionality and ability to meet the standards for which public funds were appropriated, rather than by political publicity or government press releases.

“The people of Oyo State do not need another celebration of projects on paper. They need infrastructure that meets the standards for which public money was appropriated,” Glory said, urging the government to address all deficiencies identified by CAF and ensure the stadium is genuinely fit to host international competitions.

The APC Youth Wing said Oyo youths deserved “competence over propaganda, accountability over excuses, and results over rhetoric,” adding that the people of the state were watching developments while also calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take interest in the matter.