By Ife Osemedua
365Daily-– 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.
Assistant Director Press, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ramon Balogun, in a statement issued on Thursday, April 8, 2021, said the Ministry and the Main Organising Committee (MOC) for the festival were 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.
It added that the Honorable 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.
No such communication has been receivedby the Ministry, it added.
Futhermore, the statement added, “For the records, 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 of Youth and Sports Development.
“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.”