Jos Stadium project: PLSG to obtain bank loan for completion
By; Buhari B. Bello, Jos.
The Plateau State Government said it would obtain a bank loan to complete the new Multi-billion Naira Jos stadium even as the citizen claim that such is one too many.
Arc Samuel Galadima, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, made the disclosure during an inspection visit to the recently abandoned multi-billion naira stadium under construction.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the years the project has taken without been completed and stated government’s readiness and commitment at completing it at all cost.
“Governor Simon Lalong is keen at completing this stadium as soon as possible. The only challenge of the government is finance, but we are planning to obtain a bank loan that will enable us complete the project as soon as possible.
“We are aware that once this stadium is completed, the state will be a tourists’ centre, where the whole world would converge for sporting events considering our good and unique weather”.
The commissioner said that the state government was aware that any further delay would mean spending more money on the project considering the value of the naira compared with the US Dollar and Euro.
According to him, “once completed the state internally generated revenue (IGR) would be boosted and help in the growth and development of the state”.
Earlier, the Manager Directing of the contracting firm, BCC Tropical (Nig) Limited, Mr Plamen Iliev, said “work stopped at the site since last March due to lack of fund.
“I presently have four pending certificates amounting to over N600 million for payment; the last payment we got was last march”.
He disclosed that the contract sum was N11. 3 billion and that N6.8 billion had so far been expended on the stadium leaving a balance of N4.5 billion.
According to the contractor, he was ready to go back to site and complete the project as soon as fund was made available to him.
