Amos Adamu, a sports administrator, speaks on Obaseki
OpenLife Nigeria reports that seasoned sports administrator and former Director General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Amos Adamu, has expressed strong reservations about the conduct of governor Godwin Obaseki in the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival, NSF, holding in Benin, Edo State capital.
On April 8, governor Obaseki, through his deputy, Philip Shuaibu had threatened to shut down the Edo Sports festival abruptly.
The Edo government intended to end the games due to alleged non-release of funds by the Federal Government as agreed.
A statement announcing the decision to end the game reads:
Edo Government is to shut down the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) by 12 noon on Thursday over the refusal of the Federal Government to support the State with the fund as promised.
This was disclosed to the TMC TV by Musa Ebomhiana, a project manager in the Media and Communication Sub-Committee for the games.
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 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday).
“The Federal Government has reneged on their promise of assisting the State with the fund and for that, we are closing the festival,” he stated.
Reacting, Amos Adamu, former President for the Organising Committee for the Abuja 8th All-Africa Games, COJA, which held in October 2003, said the decision by governor Obaseki to stop the ongoing sports festival in Benin on accounts of delayed funding from Abuja was taken in bad fate.
He argued that nobody compelled governor Obaseki to bid for the hosting right adding that he should have weighed his capacity to host such festival before bidding.
“Don’t start what you cannot finish,” he stated angrily.
Amos Adamu hinted that Obaseki may have needed the sports festival to elevate his political strength before the Edo 2020 governorship in which he sought a re election.
“I have been a sports administrator. We don’t give money to any hosting state. If you know you cannot host, don’t bid,” Adamu cautioned.
In addition to what Amos Adamu said, another sports administrator, Dr. Ademola Aree asked “Where did Obaseki want the money to come from? Was it captured in the budget?
The 20th National Sports Festival, NSF, commenced on April 2 and will end on Wednesday.
Reports say that Delta State is currently leading on the medal table followed by Edo State.
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