Para Athletes clash with Police as they shut down Surulere

Life was made difficult for road users in Surulere and in particular, The National Stadium axis as athletes with disabilities expressed their annoyance with the Sports Ministry.

The protest started on Monday, this week, reason being that, ahead of the Nation Sports Festival, the ministry of sports removed their various sports and categories from the list of events for the festival.

With the festival a matter of weeks to go, the athletes were enraged, that they have worked a long time to be fit for the festival.

“And much more importantly, not making an appearance at they festival means no pay.”

The head of the para athletes, Shodipo Lateef lamented that sports is their means of livelihood and it would be wicked for the ministry to put a stop to it.

He also revealed the ill treatment from the hands of the police who were on ground to pacify the situation.

“Some of ours members have been locked up, while they were being battered, tear gassed and even injured .”

With the National Sports Festival set to kick off on the 28th of November in Delta State, Wheelchair tennis, Deaf Athletics, Deaf table tennis and wheel chairman basketball were amongst the games excluded from the Festival in a recent Communiqué released by the organisers.

The protest which started on Monday in front of the National Stadium in Surulere has now lasted 3 days as the Chairman of the wheelchairs tennis Shodipo Lateef also revealed that they have not received any response from the appointed bodies, and the protest will continue until there is positive result.