The Ogun State Government has responded to Monday’s protest by Team Ogun athletes at the 22nd National Sports Festival, calling the demonstration an act of impatience, as plans were already in place to settle their allowances.
The protest erupted at the games village in Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, where athletes representing the host state blocked the facility’s main gates from as early as 5:30 a.m., leaving other participants stranded until the gates were reopened at 12:43 p.m. following the partial disbursement of funds.
The demonstration took place just two days before the festival’s closing ceremony. Events scheduled for that day were delayed, with the exception of the marathon, due to the disruption.
In an official statement, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, described the protest as unfortunate and misaligned with the spirit of the festival.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun remains committed to the welfare of all festival participants. There is no situation under which Ogun athletes would be neglected,” Akinmade said.
He further emphasized that the protest undermined the state’s successful efforts in hosting the festival and reflected poorly on the athletes’ understanding of the payment process.
“Those who protested did so in error. It was a clear case of impatience,” he added.
Following the incident, the athletes confirmed receiving ₦50,000 each — as initially promised by the governor — along with an additional ₦140,000 in allowances. However, they maintained that the total expected payment was ₦210,000, calculated at ₦15,000 per day over 14 days.
The 2024 edition of the National Sports Festival concludes today with a closing ceremony at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta. It marks the second time Ogun State has hosted the event, the first being in 2006.
As of the final day, the host state ranks third on the medals table with 53 gold, 44 silver, and 52 bronze medals.
