Apparently frustrated by unending wait for the cash reward packages announced for athletes that represented the state at the 2022 National Sports Festival held at Asaba, Commonwealth Games (Birmingham 2022), First Para Games (Abuja 2022) and African Cycling Championship by the executive governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde on the 10th February, Oyo State athletes recently stormed the Governor’s office to beg the Governor for release of the fund.
Some athletes that spoke with newsmen during the peaceful protest at the government secretariat Ibadan on condition of anonymity lamented the poor state of their welfare, while begging the governor to wade into the matter so the funds can be released to them.
The athletes, according to the investigation, believed the disbursement was deliberately delayed by some government officials because their sources within the government secretariat informed them that the Governor had endorsed the payment long ago.
The athletes however thanked the Special Adviser to governor on security, Mr. Sunday Odukoya who addressed them during their visit and advised them to put their demand into writing, thus submitting a letter signed by all the aggrieved athletes formally for governor’s attention.
“This reward package is what we always relied on to better our lives, and our governor has done well by announcing the kind of rewards no governor has done before in the history of the state for us, but since February that Governor Seyi Makinde has announced his rewards package to us, we are yet to get it, hence we’re begging the accountant general of the state to help us out”, said one of the athletes.
Gold medalists are expected to be rewarded with One million naira each, silver medalists will be offered Five hundred thousand naira each while the Bronze medalists will be given Three hundred and fifty thousand naira each. Even athletes who represented the state in the Competitions but did not win medals, are also expected to be given two hundred and fifty thousand naira each as consolation, the first time such will happen in the history of the state.
