Fresh details have emerged on why the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Akwa United have adopted the U.J.Esuene Stadium, Calabar as its home venue instead of the ultra modern Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo.
The original home of Akwa United, the Uyo Township Stadium, was last week placed on suspension by the League Management Company (LMC) for its poor playing surface and facilities forcing the club to choose between the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo and the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar as temporary home venue.
With Akwa Ibom International Stadium having advantage of proximity and better facilities, Akwa United favoured it over UJ Esuene. But, the dream of the Uyo-based club to make use of one of the best sporting facilities in Africa for its league matches was dashed following the discovery that the stadium, known as ‘the Nest of Champions’ has been sealed up by Julius Berger construction firm that built it over heavy indebtedness by the Akwa Ibom State government.
“The government, we have been told, is yet to settle (pay) Julius Berger which built the stadium and that is the reason the stadium has been locked up for some time now,” an official of the club disclosed in an interview with supersport.com.
“We will now play our home games at the UJ Esuene in neighbouring Calabar until this issue over the Nest of Champions is resolved,” he adds.
By Olisemeka Obeche (with agency reports)
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