The contractor handling the re-grassing of the playing turf of Enyimba Stadium in Aba, Abia state, said on Monday that the project could be ready in June, provided the money is available.
Mr Ebi Egbe said this in Aba, when he briefed newsmen on the extent of work so far done on the $1 million project.
He said that the contract commenced in 2016 with the initial mobilisation by the state government but got stalled due to the current economic recession in the country.
He said that the contract had been reactivated and that the government was determined to ensure the return of Enyimba International FC to their home base.
Egbe, who is the Managing Director, Monimichelle, a sports facility outfit, said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had directed that the project be completed in record time “for the club to return to base.”
He explained that the playing turf, measuring 110 by 74, would be the biggest in the world. According to him, “The only stadium close to it would be the Real Madrid Stadium, which is 110-72”.
He said that the soft base of the pitch had been done, adding that the drainage system had also been completed to take care of rain water.
Egbe said that the stadium could compare with any other standard facility anywhere in the globe.
He said that the water sprinklers that would soon be installed had the capacity to spray 2,000 litres of water from the 10,000-litre overhead tank on a daily basis.
The Commissioner for Sports, Chief Chinwe Nwanganga, said that government was determined to bring the team back to Enyimba city to enable them to enjoy the support of their teeming home fans.
Nwanganga said that aside from the re-grassing, the entire facility would undergo thorough transformation to bring it to modern standard.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the club relocated to Calabar for its home matches at the commencement of the current National Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
The club played its home matches in the 2015/2016 NPFL season and CAF Champions League in Umuahia and Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, respectively.
Source – NAN