Erosion destroys multimillion naira property at Rojenny Stadium – Ezeonwuka
Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, Managing Director of Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area (LGA), says property estimated at about 200 million within the facility has been destroyed by erosion.
Ezeonwuka, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday, blamed the disaster on the Stadium and the gully erosion control work being done by the Anambra Government at the Oba axis of the Owerri-bound lane of the Onitsha-Owerri motorway.
He said the original flood path, which led to the collapse of one lane of the road, was blocked to prevent the collapse of the second lane, thereby diverting flow to the stadium.
The foremost facility investor condemned the redirection of the flood into the stadium and called on the Anambra government to find an urgent solution to the problem to forestall further destruction of property.
According to him, “the stadium I built with my youthful energy for the development of youths in Nigeria is being destroyed by flood.
“As I am talking to you, property worth over $200 million has been ruined because flood water in the area hit the stadium.
“The control work going on blocked the original channel, which led to the collapse of one lane; now the entire flood is channelled to my stadium,” he said.
Ezeonwuka said every little rain now generates floods that rise above the culvert at the entrance gate because of concrete barricades that were used to stop vehicles from plying the collapsed portion of the road.
“My perimeter fences have all collapsed, the Ogilisi Garden is destroyed, the impact is great, and the cost is huge,” he said.
In a reaction, the Anambra government said it neither diverted nor channelled floods to the stadium.
Mr. Ifeanyi Okoma, the state Commissioner for Works, said the flood challenge at Rojenny was a result of the collection of flood water from the upper Idemili areas, which was flowing into the Idemili and River Niger.
Okoma said the palliative work had no impact on the flood going into the Stadium.
He, however, promised that he would visit the site with his team.
Rojenny Stadium is the oldest Olympic Stadium owned by an individual in Nigeria and the only one in the entire Southeast.
