By Martin Odiete
The Edo state Government has maintained that they would go ahead on shutting down the Sports Festival if the Federal Government does not release the funds approved for the Game by12 noon on Friday.
Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the Games and Deputy Governor of Edo state, Phillip Shuibu disclosed this to news men in Benin City on Thursday. He maintained that the move is necessitated by the fact that the state is cash strapped.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has clarified that the 20th National Sports Festival, Edo 2020, is going on as planned with competitions going on as scheduled.
A press statement from the ministry, signed by the assistant director Press Ramon Balogun on Thursday morning, 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.
“The Honorable Minister, Permanent Secretary and Directors are on ground in Benin City where the Festival is holding, and 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.”
Report credited to the local organising committee had Wednesday claimed that the festival would be halted on Thursday due to paucity of funds.
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