By Amaechi Agbo

Ahead of the March 2020 National Sports Festival, NSF, the Main Organising Committee, MOC and the Local Organising Committee, LOC, today conducted inspection tour of all the facilities to be used in the festival, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.
The two committees are led by their various Chairmen. The MOC was led by the chairman and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Olusola Adesola along with the scribe of the committee, Mrs Hawal Kulu. The LOC was led by its chairman and Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu.
While the MOC is comprised of the Permanent Secretary and other directors in the ministry as well as technocrats, the LOC comprises the state government and other members drafted to add their professional input in ensuring a successful 2020 Festival.
Facilities the committees are expected to inspect include the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium which will host majority of the events as well as other facilities approved by the ministry to host activities.
Since being awarded the hosting right at the closing ceremony of 19th edition, Abuja 2018 Festival, the Edo State Government is building and revamping more sports facilities ahead of the 20th edition tagged “Edo 2020”.
The Governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki has not left anyone in doubt about the readiness of the state to host one of the most beautiful and successful Festivals in the country.
The governor had mobilised the LOC to ensure that the mandate was actualised. It was not surprising then that he embarked on building of new structures as well as renovating old ones where necessary.
One of the new structures the governor built is a new block of building that would serve as secretariat for the festival officials during the competition.
The building, located inside the Edo Government House, will also be inspected by the committees today.
The governor had told journalist in May this year in Benin that the building “will be properly equipped with the necessary facilities, such as communication system, to upgrade the standard of the festival.
“We are setting up new standards for hosting the NSF. We are doing a total revamp of the stadium.
“We have ordered new athletics tracks, we are rebuilding tennis courts, swimming pools and investing in other facilities around the city that will be used for the festival,” he had said.
In order to ensure that the facilities are put to effective use ahead of the NSF, the state is organising a mini-festival ahead of the main event.
“The state sports festival will be the trials for those that will represent Edo during the NSF. Team Edo will be raised from the state sports festival,” Deputy Governor of the state and Chairman LOC, Philip Shaibu, said.
Shaibu said other arrangements were being put in place to ensure Edo did not just host, but participate successfully.
He stated that ongoing reconstruction work at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin would soon be completed and the stadium would be ready for use before the end of next month.
The MOC are expected back in Abuja today where they will hold Technical Committee meeting on Wednesday to discuss their findings during the inspection and how to facilitate speedy conclusion of outstanding facilities.