THE INSIDER: Buhari intervened with N500m to avert cancellation of sports festival

President Muhammadu Buhari has intervened with the sum of five hundred million naira for the 20th National Sports Festival to continue as planned, a source told TheCable.

TheCable understood that Buhari called Philip Shuaibu, deputy governor of Edo who doubles as chairman of the local organising committee (LOC), from the United Kingdom where he is on medical check-up to shelve the 24-hour ultimatum given to the federal government to end the sports festival.

Shuaibu had on Thursday morning ordered the closure of the offices belonging to the LOC and main organising committee (MOC).

He had also evicted staff of the sports ministry from the Ogbemudia stadium, threatening that the festival will not continue due to paucity of funds.

“President Buhari has intervened with the sum of 500 million for the sports Festival to continue,” the source told TheCable.

“Baba called from UK that they should release the money for the activities to continue here Benin.

“Though, the deputy governor who is also the LOC chairman complained that the amount is a little too small to meet up all that will be needed for the the festival to be completed without any glitches.

“But he was told to accept the 500 million so as the festival will continue.”

TheCable had earlier reported that the ministry of sports had insisted that the festival would continue without hindrance.

This was after Musa Ebomhiana, Edo 2020 project manager on media and publicity, had warned that the sporting events will be called off over the federal government’s refusal to provide the state with funds.