To preserve the newly installed pitch of Warri City Stadium, the Managing Director of Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd, Lanre Adeleke, has advised government and people of Delta State not to use the playing turf for any social event outside football.

“One thing is for the government to spend huge amount of money to construct this beautiful pitch, but another thing is for those incharge of the stadium to maintain it. It will require the sum of N12million to bring the pitch of Warri City Stadium back to standard if it is used for any social event outside football,” Adeleke told The Guardian during an inspection tour of the stadium.

For years, past Governors in Delta State have been looking for a solution to the pitch of Warri City Stadium, which is usually flooded once it rains. The flood issue denied the City of Warri the opportunity of hosting the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup.

To arrest the situation, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori decided to hand the renovation of the stadium to Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd headed by Lanre Adeleke, who engaged pitch experts, including those that fixed playing pitches in Cote d’Ivoire.

Apart from opening four drainage channels to take water out of the stadium, Adeleke and his team of engineers laid four differed layers for the playing pitch to sit on.

Now, the pitch of Warri Stadium is ready to host the Super Eagles, going by the declaration of two ex-internationals, Segun Odegbami and Mutiu Adepoju during the tour.

However, Adeleke emphasised the critical need for a sustainable maintenance culture to preserve the playing turf, saying that establishing a proper, long-term maintenance system is essential to keep the stadium’s playing surfaces and infrastructure in top shape.

He told The Guardian that the natural paspalum grass turf installed at Warri City Stadium matches the standard of playing surfaces anywhere else in the world.

“This pitch is ready for play. The renovation is a robust four-level drainage system engineered to combat regional flooding and waterlogging during heavy rainfall.”

But those saddled with the responsibility of keeping the stadium must not allow the pitch to host any social event outside football. It is not even all manners of football that should be brought here. For any social event, including church programmes, political rallies and musical concerts to take place here, there are certain things involved. First, there is a special equipment that must be rolled over the pitch to prevent the grass from any form of damage. It cost N12million to do so.

“Again, after a repair due to hosting of any social event, the playing turf must be given at least ten days for the grass to fully recover. These are some of things the government and people of Delta State will have to do to maintain this beautiful pitch if it is used for any social event outside football,” Adeleke stated.