Sports ministry insists National Sports Festival continues
By Emma Jemegah
The Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports has insisted that the ongoing National Sports Festival in Benin, Edo State will continue despite the threat by host state government that if by today noon, they would be forced to abort the competition.
National Sports Festival in Benin Continues
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.
In a statement signed on behalf of the sports minister Sunday Dare by Ramon Balogun, an
Assistant Director of Press in the ministry, “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.”
He said the Minister, Permanent Secretary and Directors were 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.”
He clarified that 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, adding that 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 stressed.