Edo State government, hosts of the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival, NSF, in Benin, will shut down the 13-day event by 12 noon Thursday, an official said late Wednesday.
Musa Ebomhiana, Project Manager with the Media and Communications Sub-Committee of the festival’s Local Organising Committee, LOC, said the decision was necessitated by federal government’s refusal to fulfill a promise.
He said the federal government failed to support the state with funds as promised, and the state government had no choice other than shutting down the festival.
The decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the festival’s LOC headed by the deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu.
“You can quote me, that we just finished from an emergency meeting of the LOC, and as I speak with you we have decided to shut down the festival by 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday).
“The decision was arrived at because the federal government has reneged on its promise to assist the state with funds. Because of that, we are closing the festival,” Ebomhiana stated.
He however did not disclose how the LOC was going to shut down the festival.
It was however not possible to get the reaction of the festival organisers, the Main Organising Committee, MOC, to the development as at the time of filing this report.
The reaction of the festival’s owners, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development could also not be got.
John Joshua-Akanji, an aide of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, however responded immediately he was contacted.
He said the MOC’s Secretary, Peter Nelson, should be reached for reaction.
Nelson could however not be reached.
Edo had solicited financial support from the federal government for it to play host to the other states of the federation and the FCT.
It had hinged its demand upon the inconveniences brought about by the several postponements of the festival which was earlier billed for March 2020.
The postponements were as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rescheduled NSF had commenced on April 2 to last till April 14.
If shut down on Thursday it would just be in its seventh day.
Source: NAN
