Edo state deputy governor Comrade Philip Shaibu has renewed the threat to shut down the on-going 20th National Sports Festival by noon on Friday if the Federal Government fails to address the issue of funding raised before the start of the competition.
Shaibu reiterated at a press conference at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin on Thursday that the state cannot sustain the funding of the Festival and have left with no option in this.
‘What we have been hearing from the Sports Minister is that government has approved the funds for the Festival. How much was approved was not disclosed. The food vendors in the Festival Village (University of Benin) have ran out of cash and to avoid protests by the athletes and officials, it is better to shut everywhere and ask the states to go back to their respective bases,’ said Shaibu.
Edo state had earlier threatened to shut down the competition by 12 noon on Thursday but the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development came out with a rebuttal saying the host state neither consulted with it nor write an official letter to that effect and insisted the Festival will continue with the track and field event starting on Friday.