Mr. Philip Shuaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State and the Chairman Local Organizing Committee (LOC), of the ongoing National Sports Festival, christened Edo 2020 said Nigerians should blame the Federal Government for the interim shut down due to lack of commitment to their part.
Shuaibu said this on Thursday while addressing reporters at the Media Center of the event.
According to him, “The planned shut down of the National Sports Festival is not due to non-preparation from the state government nor that the facilities are not up to standard but due to lack of commitment from the Federal Government through the body language of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports,” he said.
He pointed out that during the series of postponements which cost them a lot of money that the Minister of Youth and Sports made firm promises of financial commitment to them to alleviate their losses, he said prompted them to engage some vendors and service providers who are now on their neck for payment as agreed.
The LOC Chairman reiterated that if noting concrete is done before 12 noon today in terms of full commitment from the Federal Government, they will shut down Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium complex which is the administrative hub of the event and again, if by 12 noon tomorrow, nothing is done, all the activities will be shut down because their contractors are threatening for their payment.
Shuaibu who denied any political undertone lamented that his LOC is been kept in the dark as per how much has been approved by the presidency which would have given latitude to use the instrument and source for funds.
He also reported that since the commencement of the sporting events that there has not been any communication between his committee and the Ministry, thus giving room for suspicion.