POINT OF ORDER

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong

 

Sports infrastructures: Cameroon should emulate Nigeria’s example

The reverberating success of the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa has proven that stadiums can play a great role in enriching the lives of locals once the final whistle of tournaments has been blown.

Just last Friday, Uyo in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria was the centre of attraction when three African heads of state: Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast as well as numerous very important personalities from within and outside the sports circle were present at the grand official opening of the newly constructed 30,000 all-seater Akwa Ibom International Stadium which has been named the ‘Nest of Champions’. The vice president of Ghana Football Association, Fred Crentsil even described it as “among the best you can find anywhere in the world”.

The recent stadium comes to add to the 60,491seat capacity Abuja stadium constructed in 2003, the 55,000 seat Surelere stadium built in Lagos in 2006 and the 35,000 seat Karkanda stadium constructed last year in Katsina. Irrespective of these, there are other old but properly and constantly maintained stadia in Nigeria in the likes of: Jalingo City stadium in Jalingo (30000 seats), Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan (35000seats), Enyimba Sports Stadium in Aba (25500seats), Liberation stadium in Port Harcourt (25000seats), U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar (25000seats) and many more. These stadia all conform to FIFA standard – good turf, well structured spectators sitting arrangement, good medical facilities, good crowd control and security system, good media facilities, emergency exists, proper lighting, etc.

Cameroon is to host the Female African Cup of Nations in 2016 as well as the African Cup of Nations in 2019, yet so far, there is no major construction work or effort to refurbish the few ‘bad’ stadia we have in the country. The 52, 000 seat Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium is still begging for renovation and has virtually been invaded by mad people who use it as their place of abode. The 1971-constructed stadium has not known any development and those who can’t afford a fee for the presidential tribune and other ‘comfortable’ tribunes have it hot when it rains or when the sun is scorching, whenever there is a match in that local football school field; sorry, national football stadium.

It is still common knowledge as Benjamin Franklin tells us that “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  I am not by anyway predicting doom for my beloved country, but the country will disgrace me as a patriotic Cameroonian if stadia like the Ahmadou Ahidjio stadium in Yaounde, the Reunification stadium in Douala, the Roumde Adjia in Garoua and other small ones in Buea, Bangangte, Limbe, Mankon, Kumbo, Mbouda, Ngoundere, Guider, Sangmelima, Baham, Bafang, Batie, Bandjoun and so no, are not given immediate and well-deserved attention, then we are heading to the obvious.

Renowned former Indian cricketer, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was not running his mouth like some of our state officials in Cameroon when he said: “As far as the World Cup is concerned, it is a process. We don't want to jump to the 50th floor straight away. We must start on the ground floor.” Cameroonian officials, especially those directly concerned with sports, must bury the hatchet, put aside personal interest and ensure that sports infrastructures meet up with required international standards. Planned constructions or rehabilitation of stadiums should not end at the level of paper works or have ‘go slow’ on the field.

Though Cameroon seems not to be married to the game of soccer like their Nigerian neighbours, the political sports lovers we have here in the name of football stakeholders should begin to think like their Nigerian counterparts.

For Nigeria to spend $96 million, approximately 48billion FCFA, to raise the Akwa Ibom stadium when they are not on the verge of hosting any competition speaks volume and tells the amount of value they attach to the development of sports infrastructures.

As parliamentarians meet today for the budgetary session, they should jerk into thinking how to invest in the development of sports infrastructures. After all, they is no harm in copying a good example.