Failure of the Federal Government to release funds for the ongoing National Sports Festival will force it to wind up today, mid-way into its full course of 12 days.
The Coordinator of Media and Publicity, National Sports Festival, Ebomhiana Musa, said in a statement on Wednesday night, that the decision to end the sporting event was taken after an emergency meeting of the Local Organising Committee headed by Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
According to him, the Edo State Government will shut down the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival by 12 noon on Thursday (today).
The statement reads, “The Local Organising Committee, Edo2020 regrets to announce that it will end the games abruptly tomorrow, Thursday, April 8, 2021, for lack of funds.
“Rising from an emergency meeting this evening, the LOC says it has to take this hard decision due to lack of funds having expended its reserves to kick start the games.
“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 but to end the games at noon tomorrow (today).”
The development is coming despite the postponement of the festival on several occasions.
No fewer than 8,000 athletes from different states of the federation are participating in the festival.
Edo State had raised the alarm over the Federal Government’s failure to provide funds 24 hours to the commencement of the festival.
