Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has assured of his administration’s plans to maintain the facilities being used for hosting the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Edo 2020.
Obaseki this said on Sunday when he teed-off the Edo 2020 golf tournament in Benin, the state capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obaseki was joined by his Deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, representative of President of Nigerian Golf Federation, Thaddeus Wilmen, and other golfers.
Addressing newsmen after teeing-off the tournament, Obaseki said: “The purpose of the National Sports Festival is to bring men and women together in the spirit of oneness and unity, so that they can have a common purpose.
“Our country needs healing, unity and sense of purpose, and that is why we are hosting the sports festival.
“It is not necessary that we host and win. For us, we know we have all it takes but as sports men and women, we will let excellence prevail,” he added.
On the maintenance of the sports facilities in the state, which he described as world-class, Obaseki said: “There are tremendous changes in Edo today as regards how we maintain the structures and institutions.
“It has to do with the people, with capacity building and making sure you have the right processes and procedures.
“Through the ongoing hiring and recruitment in the state public and civil service, we are going to put in place, not only the right people but also, the right systems and institutions to sustain what we are doing.
“I am assuring the people of the state that the facilities will be kept well. They are owned by you and, therefore, we must have systems in place to ensure that they are maintained.”
Obaseki added that it would not be his responsibility alone, but that of the entire people of the state to ensure the facilities were maintained.
“We will put in place a system that will ensure that they are maintained,” he added. (NAN)
