The state executive council approved the renaming of the stadium, which is still under construction.
Ebonyi State government has approved the renaming of the Olympic stadium after the late military dictator, Sani Abacha.
The state executive council approved the renaming of the stadium, which is still under construction.
Abacha was Nigeria’s military head of state from 1993 to 1998. He promised to return the country to democracy after getting to power by overthrowing the interim government of Ernest Shonekan. He banned political activities of any kind and brutally suppressed dissent and assassinated some of his critics. He jailed the winner of the 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola and former military leader, Olusegun Obasanjo for treason. Abacha's killer squad was responsible for killing one of Abiola's wives, Kudirat, among other executions.
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, was also charged with treason, but he was able to flee the country. His regime also jailed and executed writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, along with eight other environmental activists for treason. Known as the Ogoni 9, Saro-Wiwa and other eight activists from the Ogoni region of Nigeria had opposed the operating practices of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation and protested against the environmental exploitation of their region by multinational petroleum companies.
The state government also renamed the Centenary City Ring Road after a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, saying the road and stadium were renamed after the former Senate President Anyim and Abacha as a mark of honour to both men for serving the state credibly.
The state government also approved the sum of N111,250,000 for Christmas celebrations for indigenes of the state.
Chooks Oko, the state’s special adviser on media and strategy, announced the development in a statement on Saturday.
He said, “Exco approved naming the Olympic Stadium after Sani Abacha and naming Centenary City ring road after Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim. It shall be named and called Anyim Pius Anyim Centenary City Ring Road.”
“In a bid to celebrate this year’s Christmas for Ebonyi people at home and in diaspora, Ebonyi state executive council on 13th December 2022, approved the release of the sum of (N111,250,000.00) covering the transportation of Ebonyians living in Lagos and Abuja to Ebonyi state for Christmas celebration, including the cost of rice, Christmas gifts and largesse to the selected 1270 Ebonyians living in Lagos and Abuja,” the statement reads.
“Secretary to the state government, commissioner for trade and investment, commissioner for human capital development and monitoring, commissioner for health and commissioner for special duties were charged by EXCO to supervise the payment of this Christmas empowerment funds to Ebonyians in Abuja and Lagos who must have BVN and phone number.”