Athletes representing Ogun State at the 22nd National Sports Festival, also known as the Gateway Games 2024, caused a major disruption on Wednesday by blocking buses at the Games Village located within Babcock University. Their protest, sparked by the non-payment of promised allowances, left fellow athletes and officials stranded just two days before the festival’s conclusion.
Videos and photographs shared by officials at the Games Village show athletes clad in Ogun State tracksuits obstructing buses transporting participants to various sporting events. Reports indicate the protest began early in the morning, around 5:30 a.m.
One Ogun athlete confirmed to okay.ng that the group had convened the previous evening to discuss their grievances and decided to proceed with the protest the following morning. “We are yet to receive any payment, and we do not know how much the state intends to pay us in allowances,” he stated.
Ahead of the festival, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun had promised generous cash rewards for medalists: N2.5 million for gold, N1.5 million for silver, and N1 million for bronze. Despite this, the athletes’ allowances remain unpaid. Ogun currently holds third place on the medals table, boasting 48 gold, 38 silver, and 47 bronze medals.
As of the time of reporting, okay.ng has yet to receive comments from Wasiu Isiaka, the Ogun State Commissioner of Sports, regarding the protest.
