The Federal Government (FG) has ruled out any possibility of returning sporting activities in the country any time soon.
As the novel coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, continues to ravage the global community and leave in its trail deaths,
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this on Thursday, in Abuja, said reopening sporting activities is not feasible now in view of large crowd they attract.
Mustapha said the PTF was not excited about giving the green light for sports to return in the nation.
He noted that the few countries that have allowed sports to return did so with a condition that the stadiums would be empty.
“Sporting activities attract large crowd and we are saying we don’t want a gathering of more than 20 persons,” he said.
“We are not excited about allowing Football and other sports to return, given the slow pace we are reopening the economy. We will get there, but, for now, we are concerned with the few areas we have allowed.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), added that the PTF “will continue to review the situation, know how we are faring, study the situation and know what next to do based on data, science and peculiarity of our environment.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the suspension of all football activities in the country. The Nigeria Professional League (NPFL) has been put on hold, indefinitely, while the sports ministry postponed the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival as well as all other sporting activities in the country.
The reason why the Federal Government is reluctant for Football and other sports activities to resume could be duo to the rising number of coronavirus patients.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday night, confirmed the discovery of 501 fresh Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in over 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It listed the states and the figures as “Lagos – 195; FCT – 50; Kano – 42; Kaduna – 27; Edo – 26; Oyo – 22; Imo – 21; Gombe – 17; Benue – 12; Enugu – 12; Delta – 11; Anambra – 11; Ebonyi – 10; Nasarawa – 9; Ogun – 9; Bauchi – 8; Kebbi – 4; Akwa Ibom – 3; Jigawa – 3; Katsina – 3; Yobe – 2; Borno – 2; Kwara – 1; Ondo – 1”
The national tally is 15,682 with 5101 patients discharged and 407 deaths recorded.
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