Rivers State Governor, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the Real Madrid Football Academy in the state will be completed in August this year. This will enable the Academy to start full academic activities in September 2020.
Governor Wike in a statement made available by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, said the new deadline is predicated on the fact that the contractors claimed to have lost 28 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Paulinus Nsirim in the statement said Governor Wike has extended the completion date when he visited the project site of the Real Madrid Football Academy at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Elekahia, Port Harcourt, to inspect the extent of work done.
Speaking to journalists, Governor Wike said the Real Madrid Football Academy would become operational in September when the new academic session begins.
He emphasised that the contractors would have no reason to delay completion of the project beyond August 2020, because the State Government would fulfil her financial obligation.
The governor noted that the pitches and the administrative offices are ready but the academy cannot commence activities without the completion of the hostels and the classrooms that would be used by the students.
According to him, the aspect of academics activities is as important as the football training in order to give Rivers youths admitted into the institution a more holistic career path.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work by the contractor and urged him to redouble his effort to meet the deadline, Paulinus Nsirim, State’s Commissioner for Information and Communications added.
Speaking on behalf of the contracting firm, Mr Julien Kan, Project Manager SPG Construction Nig Ltd, assured the governor that the project would be delivered on schedule.