The ongoing National Sports Festival in Benin will continue amidst expectations of the Edo State to receive the financial assistance pledged by the federal government.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in a statement signed by the ministry Assistant Director Press, Mr Ramon Balogun, dated April 8, 2021 clarified that the 20th National Sports Festival, Edo 2020, is going on as planned even as they await the subvention from the federal government.
The FMYS clarification is coming at the heels of a report credited to the Local Organising Committee of the festival saying the sporting events will be suspended on Thursday due to financial instability.
Regrettably, the FG is yet to redeem its pledge to support us as the host state financially for the cost of postponements. So, we are left with no option than to end the games at noon tomorrow(Thursday) “said a statement credited to Ebomhiana Musa, Project Manager, Media & Communications of the Festival.
Official statement from the FMYS said, “The Ministry and the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) for the festival are unaware of any plans or threat by the Edo State Government to shut down the sports festival as there has been no official meeting or communication that relayed such information”
It added that the hierarchy of the ministry are fully on ground in Benin city and in the event of any exigencies, it would expect an official memo from the LOC.
“The Ministry has no such communication.For the records, the Edo State government due to the cost implications of postponements occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic requested financial assistance from the Federal government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development”
The statement added that the ministry is still pursuing the financial assistance from the FG and it believes is being processed.
Edo 2020 is expected to end on April 14th and as at the time of compiling this report, sporting e events arw going on across all the centres of the festival.
