Built during the military regime of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the Ilorin base ball park in Kwara was meant to be the first of its kind in the West African sub-region, completely equipped for youth development in the city capital. More than 25 years after, the complex has remained desolate, home only to vagrants, writes NICK UWERU

When next any minister of Sports in the country talks of revamping sports, he might well pay a visit to Adewole, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital where the first baseball/ softball park has been lying in total disrepair.

Built in 1990 by the federal government and commissioned by no other person than then Vice president, late Augustus Aikhomu, the mini stadium was constructed at the time at the cost of N50 million. Going by the current rate, the cost should be in billions of naira.

Apart from some exhibition game organized by Adulphus Okafor, the contractor that handled the project and who is also late, no spotting event for which it was marked for has happened at the stadium. Ironically, the expanse of land on which the park was built was put to more illustrious use as soccer pitches by many youth teams and amateur foot ball club since the early 80s.

There used to be the Sparks football club, a soccer team that produced Toyin Ayinla, ace footballer with Iwuayanwu Football Club of Owerri and who later became the chief coach of Kwara United, the state's darling team. He later became the coach of Kwara United after captaining the top flight premier league team.

One of the soccer pitches was home base for International Youth Football Club, IYFC, a youth team that groomed Mike Uweru, first choice Keeper of Crown Football Club, Ogbomoso, former goal tender for Enyimba of Aba, OUK Football Club, Umuahia. Sometime in 1989, users of the soccer pitches saw the bulldozers rolling into the area for massive surface excavation work on the site. They were, immediately, ejected from their training ground without as much a prior warning, nor alternative venue provided for them.

"We initially thought that they wanted to put the pitches in better condition to serve as mini soccer stadium for the whole of Adewole/ Pakata zone," recalls coach Shuaibu 'Signor' Ga' Aremu.

He was Uweru's first coach. Government went ahead with their plans, putting up the base/softball park. But after the commissioning of the half completed park, the mini stadium was left to fall back into disrepair. Now, the complex has been put to other uses thereby further hastening its deterioration. The massive stadium bowl is now a facility for adverts to many mushroom companies.

Lubcon, an oil company has its advert on the walls. There is also a Heritage Water; there are other adverts on the walls of the main bowl of the park. "We are not even sure whether money for the advert and publicity are remitted to the proper quarters," explained an official at the park. Even so, the park is now used as warehouse of a sort with massive storages of piping materials occupying the grounds. For the most part, the park was never completed, even though Aikhomu commissioned it.

Now, the complex has fallen apart. The roofing have almost entirely gone; the fencing fallen down; walls coming down and paints pilling off the walls of the park.Though late, Okafor, the contractor, while alive said that money billed for the completion of the stadium was never paid. So he had to make do with what he has.