The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, has denounced a statement by the nation’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development constituting an Interim Management Committee to run the affairs of the sport in the country.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, weeks ago ordered a ban on basketball and withdrew the country from all International basketball competitions for the next two years.
The Federal Government, through the sports ministry then announced the members of an Interim Management Committee, IMC, to oversee the development of Basketball in Nigeria.
In a press statement, Voice of Nigeria, the NBBF led by Musa Kida, said the IMC was not acceptable and the “move is counterproductive and an endless race within a circle that leads nowhere,” he said.
The statement said the federation reserved the right, as a properly elected body, in line with the 2019 NBBF Constitution, domiciled with FIBA, Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, and the sports ministry to implement the mandate entrusted to it by the Basketball stakeholders upon their legitimate election on 31 January, this year.
“The January 31 Elective Congress made up of the Certified Delegates of the NBBF held in Benin, Edo State elected its representatives in a free, fair, and transparent election with the firm approval of the Ministry.”
“The idea of an IMC is alien to the NBBF Statutes as approved by the same Ministry of Youths & Sports Development, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), and the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA), under which the affairs of the Federation are governed. It further violates FIBA Statutes and Regulations and a deliberate usurpation of power that has made Nigeria a laughing stock amongst basketball-playing nations”.
The federation accused the federal government of abuse of power in the move it claimed was geared towards repressing the Constitution of the NBBF, as ratified by congress, which is the highest decision-making organ of the Federation, as represented by all the states and relevant constituencies in Nigeria.
The body, therefore, called on the ministry to respect their Press statement of the 30th of September 2021, affirming and spelling out the position of the Nigerian Government on the NBBF Electoral process.
Lateefah Ibrahim
