The Edo State Government has threatened to shut down the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) by noon on Thursday over the refusal of the Federal Government to support the state with the fund as promised.
A project manager in the Media and Communication Sub-Committee for the games, Musa Ebomhiana, made this disclosure late yesterday.
He said that the decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) under the headship of the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
“You can quote me, we just finished from an emergency meeting of the LOC as I speak with you and we have decided to shut down the festival by noon tomorrow,” Ebomhiana said on Wednesday night.
“The Federal Government has reneged on their promise of assisting the State with the fund and for that, we are closing the festival.”
The festival organizing committee said in a statement after an emergency meeting on Wednesday night that the decision to halt the festival “abruptly” was “hard”.
“Regrettably, the FG is yet to redeem its pledge to support us as the host state financially for the cost of postponements,” the LOC said. “So, we are left with no option than to end the games at noon tomorrow.”
The State had solicited support from the Federal Government for it to host to the sports festival.
The 20th NSF has suffered some postponements due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Edo State hinged its demand on the inconveniences brought about by the several postponements of the festival which was earlier billed for March 2020.
The rescheduled festival had commenced on April 2 and was to last till April 14.
