3SC’s CAF Home Match Relocation: Another Failure of the Makinde Administration | By Olalekan Glory

The decision to relocate Shooting Stars Sports Club’s CAF Confederation Cup home match from Ibadan to Abeokuta is not merely an inconvenience; it is yet another troubling indication of the failure of the Seyi Makinde administration to deliver on its promises to the people of Oyo State.

As the Youth Leader of the Oyo State APC, I find it deeply disappointing that, after the government reportedly committed over ₦5.5 billion to the renovation of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, the facility could not meet the requirements for hosting a CAF-sanctioned continental fixture.

This is a matter that goes beyond football. It is about accountability, value for money and responsible management of public resources.

The Makinde administration has repeatedly presented the renovation of the Lekan Salami Stadium as one of its flagship achievements, with claims that the facility was upgraded to international standards. Yet, at the moment when Oyo State’s foremost football club returned to continental competition, CAF inspection reportedly found the facility unsuitable for the competition.

Oyo people deserve answers.

Where exactly was the reported ₦5.5 billion spent? What scope of work was approved? Who supervised the project? What standards were used? And why did a facility supposedly upgraded to international standard fail to satisfy CAF requirements?

These are legitimate questions that cannot be dismissed as political criticism.

If the project was properly executed, the government should have no difficulty providing the relevant contracts, expenditure records, technical specifications, inspection reports and certification documents for public scrutiny. If there were shortcomings in the execution, those responsible should be held accountable.

We therefore reiterate our call for an independent and transparent audit of the Lekan Salami Stadium renovation project.

The consequences of this failure are not limited to the stadium.

Ibadan businesses that should have benefited from an international football fixture, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, traders, vendors and other small businesses have lost an important economic opportunity. Instead of welcoming continental football to the heart of Ibadan, our supporters are being asked to travel to Abeokuta to watch their own club play a “home” fixture.

And let us spare a thought for the loyal supporters of 3SC. They have stood by the club through difficult years and deserved the opportunity to experience continental football at Adamasingba, their traditional home. They should not have to bear additional transportation costs and the inconvenience of travelling outside the state because of administrative shortcomings.

This is precisely why public infrastructure must be judged not by political publicity, billboards or press releases, but by whether it actually works when the people need it.

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.

The Makinde administration must therefore come clean on the Lekan Salami Stadium project.

₦5.5 billion is too much money for excuses.

I call on the state government to publish the details of the project, subject the renovation to an independent technical and financial audit, address every deficiency identified by CAF, and ensure that the Lekan Salami Stadium is genuinely fit to host international competitions.

Oyo youths deserve competence over propaganda, accountability over excuses, and results over rhetoric.

The people of Oyo State are watching; EFCC is also watching.

Signed:

Olalekan Glory
Oyo state APC youth leader.