Twist of Fate: Benue Govt Overrules Assembly, Reinstates Monimichelle on Aper Aku Stadium Project

Twist of Fate: Benue Govt Overrules Assembly, Reinstates Monimichelle on Aper Aku Stadium Project

By Niyi Busari

The Benue State Government has overruled a resolution of the State House of Assembly and directed Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Company to resume work on the renovation of Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

This decision comes despite a recent directive by the Assembly’s investigative committee, which recommended terminating the contract, petitioning the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and initiating legal action against the contractor, Ebi Egbe, over alleged breaches and failure to meet key project benchmarks.

The Assembly’s stance followed revelations by BSN Sports that Monimichelle had received over ₦1.3 billion of the ₦1.7 billion contract sum—about 80 percent of the funds—while critical components of the project remained uncompleted. As of April 2025, investigations showed that the stadium pitch had not been laid, the tartan track was missing, floodlights and a scoreboard had not been installed, and goalposts were yet to be fixed.

In a twist, a senior government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to BSN Sports that the executive has decided to retain Monimichelle. He added that the contractor has been instructed to complete the project with the remaining 20 percent balance.

“The state government has overturned the decision of the State House Committee and asked Monimichelle to resume work on the rehabilitation of Aper Aku Stadium with the balance payment to be completed,” the source said.

The development has stirred fresh debate on transparency, accountability, and oversight of public infrastructure contracts in Benue State, especially in light of the funds already disbursed and the current state of the facility.

Stakeholders and residents will be watching closely to see if Monimichelle can deliver on the long-delayed upgrade to one of the state’s key sports venues.