“You’re insensitive, inconsiderate”, Obaseki lampoons Buhari
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing his administration of “insensitivity” and lack of consideration to the true feelings of the people.
Obaseki who accused the administration of President Buhari’s approach in decision making said, it’s “top-down approach” in reaching a date for the 20th National Sports Festival was completely time unacceptable and not feasible.
Governor Obaseki who spoke through the state’s Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu quarrelled over the January 3, 2021 proposed date for the commencement of the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) saying the date fixed by the federal government was not feasible.
The festival tagged Edo 2020, was initially slated for March but was postponed to December due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The festival was then slated for Benin from December 3 to 13 but after a virtual meeting between the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, the event was rescheduled to hold at the same venue from January 3 to 17, 2021.
However, the Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, who is also the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the festival expressed worry over what he called lack of consideration and insensitivity in picking a new date.
“We thought we would have been put in the mood the way it was done before the date is fixed. But since they have fixed the 3rd of January, fine for them. But to us, we feel they are not sensitive again to the environment.
“We have Christmas and the New Year celebrations. So they are telling us to bring our athletes and two days after the New Year celebration, they start the tournament. For us, that again is insensitive to the feelings of our people.
“The National Council of Sports the highest decision making as far as the tournament like this is concerned and they also need the host state to be part of the date they are fixing. But the top-down approach is what they have done again”.
