Reports of postponement of Edo sports festival false -Dudu-Orumen
News making the rounds that the third edition of the Edo State Sports Festival scheduled for February 11-16 has been postponed is false and misleading says Barrister Godwin Dudu-Orumen, Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission (ESSC).
Dudu-Orumen in a statement on Monday signed by Nnamdi Okosieme, his Special Adviser on Media, asked the public to disregard such rumours as they were products of minds irrevocably committed to mischief making. The ESSC boss stated that contrary to such insinuations, the festival was very much on course and would hold from February 11 as scheduled at the Sports Complex of the University of Benin.
“There is no iota of truth to such news. We have heard that we could not secure the use of the UNIBEN Sports Complex. That is utterly false and misleading. I can tell you authoritatively that since the committee for the Edo State Sports Festival was empanelled under my leadership by Deputy Governor Phillip Shuaib, we have taken every step necessary to ensure that everything needed for the successful hosting of the festival including securing permission from the UNIBEN authorities as directed by the Deputy Governor, has been done. It is a matter of fact that the management of the UNIBEN has graciously approved the use of their facility for the games, Dudu-Orumen said.
The ESSC boss said his committee irrevocably committed to hosting a successful state sports festival as it would afford the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the National Sports Festival headed by Deputy Governor Shaibu opportunity to both to test run the facilities for the national games, and assess the state of preparedness of Edo State athletes ahead of the national games.
“We are going to have a high quality state games, which will mirror the performance of our athletes at the national sports festival. We are not letting the distraction that such fake news represents deter us. I use this opportunity to invite Edo sons and daughter and the general Nigerian public to come witness the games from Tuesday February 11, and have fun,” Dudu-Orumen said.
