Oyo State Governor will soon reward its athletes to the last National Sports Festival (NSF) in Asaba, Delta State and those who featured at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, the United Kingdom.
Oyo athletes to the NSF won a total of 50 gold, 62 silver and 51 bronze medals to finish fourth at the biennial games.
Consequently, the state Governor Seyi Makinde who was impressed by their performance promised each athlete who won gold the sum of one million naira, silver medalists, five hundred naira and bronze medalists two hundred thousand naira only.
However, this promise was made a few weeks before straddling the Oyo gubernatorial election in March 18, 2023 when he was making so much financial outlay which led to him winning in a landslide victory to secure a second term in office.
Nonetheless, efforts are on to fulfill the financial commitment to the athletes notwithstanding that the amount in question is over one hundred million naira even as paper works relating to this had been done.
An impeccable source informed that the money in question would be paid any time from now as the Governor is always ready to make the athletes and the contingent to the NSF happy adding that athletes to the Birmingham Games in England will not be left out.
The source stated that Makinde is reputed for fulfilling all promises he made to Oyo athletes stressing that he even fulfilled the one made by his predecessor before his assumption of office as Governor.
“ Governor will soon pay as every paperwork regarding this is complete while what is now left is crediting the account of the athletes who are not less than one hundred going by the number of medals won both at the NSF and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,” it said.
He posited that “what is required on the part of the athletes is patience as Makinde will put smiles on their faces soon” adding that the Governor is reputed for his welfarist nature and disposition.