BREAKING: Edo Govt Temporarily Shut Down National Sport Festival Over FG’s Delayed Funding

The Edo State Government has temporarily shut down the ongoing National Sport Festival over the refusal of the Federal Government to show its financial commitment to the sporting event.

BIGPENNGR reported that the state government through the Project Manager and media communications of Edo 2020, Musa Ebomhiana had on Wednesday issued a statement that due to non-availability of funds to carry on with the Festival, the state could end the festival midway.

However, fulfilling the threat, the State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shuaibu on Thursday afternoon directed closure of offices of the Local Organising Committee (LOC)  and Main Organising Committee (MOC).

Addressing journalists inside the media centre at the Ogbe Stadium, Shuaibu said the decision was taken because the state can no longer be able to feed the athletes because it cannot afford the bills any longer.

At an unscheduled media briefing, the deputy governor insisted that the governor would have no choice but to stop the festival abruptly.

“Gentlemen of the press. We have ordered that the MOC office be shut down and if nothing positive from the Federal Government in terms of funds is heard before 12 noon tomorrow (Friday) we will discontinue the sports festival” he stated.

Meanwhile, BIGPENNGR reported that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development had in a statement said it was not aware of any plans or threat by the Edo State Government to shut down the sports festival.

The Ministry claimed that there has been no official meeting or communication that relayed to the planned or threatened shut down from the state government, Ramon Balogun
Assistant Director Press, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, said in a statement.

According to him, “it is expected that the Edo State Government would formally invite the Ministry for a meeting should any urgency exist around the National Sports Festival or communicate officially with the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) for the festival. 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 Ministry has since been at work to secure the financial assistance which it believes is being processed. The MYSD and EDSG are determined to deliver a successful National Sports Festival”, the statement said.