Lagosians have expressed dissatisfaction as the state government may not be permitted to turn around the fortunes of the moribund National Stadium in Surulere after all.

Authoritative sources informed Vanguard yesterday of a plot by some businessmen and politicians who are out to influence the National Assembly to halt the  state’s  plans to take over the dilapidated edifice.

According to the source, the group had already mapped out a comprehensive plan to ensure that the  Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung suspends the process of handing over the sports facility to the government of Lagos State.

Those powerful interests, are said to be seeking a take-over of the stadium on concession, and are therefore working against the interest of the Lagos State Government at different levels.

According to the souce who pleaded anonymity; “The interest groups were unhappy with Dalung for leading the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to inspect the facility, which the Sports Minister said, had become a national embarrassment.

Solomon Dalung

“These persons had already lobbied some lawmakers in the House of Representatives to stop the process of handing over the stadium. A motion to stop the process will be moved. The motion has been prepared, and a lawmaker has been recruited to move the motion.

“The same people worked against the Lagos State Government when it initiated the plan to take over the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Had TBS been handed over to Lagos, the square would have been  transformed.”

He maintained that the powerful interests are specifically targeting the parcels of land within and around the National Stadium complex with no concrete plan to really revamp the facility,which had been completely abandoned.

According to the interests calculation,  after moving the motion, the Sports Minister would subsequently be invited for questioning, which he said, had been pre-arranged “to stop the state government from taking over the facility.

“But allowing the plan to succeed will be unjust since the Federal Government has  handed over Kaduna Stadium to the Kaduna State Government, Enugu Stadium to the Enugu State Government and Calabar Stadium to the Cross Rivers State Government.”

Dalung, last week while inspecting the National Stadium, lamented its dilapidated condition, describing it as a national disaster and calling for comprehensive action to reposition the stadium and return it to its pride of place.