Minister Denies Requesting for N81m to Cut Grass in Abuja Stadium

Sunday Dare, Nigeria’s Minister of Youths and Sports, has denied reports that he asked for N81 million to be used to cut grass and weed in Abuja stadium.

Reports were rife online on sunday November 29, that while speaking during the one-day seminar organized by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) FCT chapter, Sunday Dare disclosed that the ministry under his supervision, approached the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for assessment of the stadium, which was built in 2003 with N53 billion on a 29 hectares (72 acres) of land.

“We approached AEPB to come see what can be done to clear the grass and weed in the stadium and they told us it will cost us N81m. If we tell Nigerians we used N81m which is not even available, there will be an outcry. The funds are not really there for us and that is why we are partnering with private investors to bring back the key components of our infrastructures,” he was quoted as saying

Some media houses interpreted it as him saying the Ministry needed N81 million to cut the grass and weed in the stadium.

Reacting via his Twitter handle, The Minister wrote:

”Spot the difference. This story is out of context. Misleading. A misrepresentation.The Ministry was given a bill. The Ministry did not accept. It will be detrimental to spend such an amount. And it can be better invested. That is what I said. This is not what they have reported.”

“The Fact:
“If we tell Nigerians we used N81m to cut grass, which is not even available, there will be an outcry. The funds are not really there for us and that is why we are partnering with private investors to bring back the key components of our infrastructure,” – Sunday Dare.”