TO most members of the public it is The National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos; venue of iconic national and international football matches from where legendary commentators such as Ernest Okonkwo, Ishola Folorunso, Kevin Ejiofor and others thrilled Nigerians with their microphone artistry.

But to the sporting press and others, who understand the poetic ambience of that national arena, it is fondly called Sportscity. It is more than just a stadium.

It houses the National Institute for Sports, all the sports associations, The Nigeria Olympic Committee, practice pitches for all forms of sports, indoor sports halls and even a housing estate, of which the Games Village in Surulere outside the Sportscity is an annex.

Sportscity was designed and constructed as a one-stop sports complex for all the sports that were competed for when Nigeria, at the height of her first oil boom, hosted the Second All Africa Games in 1972.

One of the features that makes Sportscity the first and only of its kind in Nigeria, even today in its utter dilapidation, is the profusion of ornamental trees, which clothe the arena in deep green as you drive or walk into its cavernous atmosphere. Most of these trees are over forty years old.

They have acquired the status of legacy trees which, in some pre-modern cultural settings, are associated with divine powers. But in more enlightened societies, such trees are carefully preserved to showcase the pedigree of national edifices.

But National Sports Commission (NSC) the federal agency in charge of sports administration in the country and the employer of staff that earn their monthly wages in the stadium, seem to have gone beyond losing interest in keeping the complex well maintained.

Even though they charge N100 per vehicle entering the stadium and also collect commercial rents from users of its various grounds and halls, little is done to reinvest some of the money to maintain the stadium.

Beyond that, a senior officer of the NSC in the stadium, has formed the habit of getting the beautiful pedigree trees of the Sportscity cut down on flimsy excuses, which are too trite and laughable for mention here.

She is defoliating the Sportscity, and has been doing so gradually over the last three years without anyone calling her to order. Sportscity is beginning to look desolate, deforested and ugly.

No credible excuse can be made for the hewing down of prized ornamental trees. Trees can only add value to humans and the environment. They can never harm anyone.

We call on the Federal Government to save the National Stadium, Surulere and restore it to its pride of place as a city for sports in Nigeria.

More importantly, we call on the NSC to rein in this officer. This madness of tree cutting must stop forthwith.

Environmental campaigners and activists must join hands with us to see to the end of this odious war against trees in Sportscity. If there is any compelling reason to cut down any tree or flower there must be contingency plans to replace them with better variety of trees or flowers.

Enough of this environmental barbarism!