The Senate on Thursday described the Abuja National Stadium, as an eye sore due to its neglect by the National Sports Commission {NSC} and expresses worry over the deplorable condition.It stated that the stadium which was built less than 10 years ago cost the federal government over N120 billion with an annual N1.2bn maintenance cost, consequently mandated the Committee on Youths and Sports to investigate the neglect .The Senate while adopting a motion sponsored by Senator Mudashiru Hussain expressed worry over the deplorable condition of the Stadium, where the government spends N1.2 billion to maintain annually, just as it mandated its Committee on Youths and Sports to investigate the neglect of the stadium.In a motion entitled 'Deplorable State of the National Stadium, Abuja' sponsored by Senator Mudashiru Hussain, and adopted by the whole house.Senator Hussain in the motion said, 'The Stadium and Sports Complex built at a cost of about $360 million less than 10 years ago for the 8th All African Games which Abuja hosted, like virtually everything owned by government in Nigeria has gone to waste and is in decay due to lack of maintenance.'Right now it has lost its beauty and has become a weather-beaten, decrepit site which is an evidence of an edifice that suffers total neglect and lack of maintenance,'Senator Abdul Ningi, said 'public servants must be held accountable for deplorable state of the national stadium.''The National Sport Commission must bear the responsibility for this abuse. This neglect means that over N120 billion spent on the stadium has been wasted.'Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided in his ruling condemned the lack of maintenance culture in the country, adding that Nigerians must imbibe the spirit of maintaining public properties.According to him, 'It is not only the stadium, every public infrastructure usually looked good and beautiful when they are completed, with everything working, but few years after it becomes an eye sore.
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