Stakeholders loyal to Mark condemn FIBA’s endorsement of Kida

• Urge minister to reject alleged ‘arm twisters’

Some stakeholders loyal to factional president of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Oguche Mark, have condemned an alleged attempt by some ‘selfish individuals’ to arm twist Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, in the protracted crisis rocking the federation.

Speaking on the backdrop of a recent letter by world basketball governing body, FIBA, acknowledging the election of Musa Kida as NBBF president, the stakeholders said the international body has no right to decide the leadership of the country’s game, adding that Nigeria, as a sovereign country, should be left to decide, without interference by external forces, who leads basketball in the nation.

FIBA in the letter dated March 7, 2022, also congratulated the newly elected members of the Kida-led board, who got their four-year mandate in the NBBF electoral congress held in Benin on January 31, 2022.

According to the stakeholders in a statement signed by NBBF Players Representative, Stanely Gumut, queried the change of the agreed channel of communication between FIBA and the NBBF.

The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to a letter, purportedly written by the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA), acknowledging one Engr. Musa Kida as president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) at a said election that took place in Benin, Edo State, on January 31.

“Having perused this phantom letter, as critical stakeholders of Nigerian basketball, laid it side by side with the undiluted facts of the NBBF elections of January 31, 2022 which happened in Abuja, it has become pertinent and imperative to clear the air regarding the antics of some selfish desperate individuals, who are hell bent on trading Nigeria for their personal gains; by attempting to bully and arm twist the sports ministry to do their bidding.

“These selfish schemers were betrayed by their desperation to the extent that they forgot that FIBA in 2017 made it crystal clear in correspondence to the NBBF that its only means of communication with the federation is nigeriabballfederation@yahoo.com. 

“That agreed, how and why did FIBA address the purported letter to Kida’s personal email?”

The statement also accused FIBA of fuelling the crisis in the NBBF, stating that the body and some individuals in Nigeria have been holding the country to ransom since 2017, an action it described as a slap on the face of the Federal Government of Nigeria. 

It added: “To set the records straight, FIBA has been part of the crisis bedeviling the NBBF since 2017, by supporting these individuals, who have over years escalated the leadership crisis, using FIBA and its agents to hold the sovereign state of Nigeria hostage, an action which Nigerian basketball players detest and see as a slap on government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The stakeholders argued that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is the only recognised custodian of sports in Nigeria, adding, “In discharge of its statutory duties, it started the process of reconstituting boards of sports federations, under its watch, and that included the NBBF.

“The process, which began officially in September 2021, was driven by the guidelines released by the Sports Ministry, and it resulted in my emergence as the Players’ Representative. Other officers were likewise elected into the NBBF Board via this same process.

“The ministry, thereafter, issued a directive, through the federation in a letter referenced NBBF/CESG.83/2022/Vol.1/127, and dated January 17, 2022 with ‘Notification of Nigeria Basketball Federation Elective Congress,’ as the subject.

“This gave credence to the elections held on January 31 in Abuja. Until that fateful date and even now, there’s been no counter directive, regarding date and venue of the NBBF elections,” the statement added. 

It advised the Federal Government to punish some individuals, who have allegedly brought Nigerian basketball to its knees just to satisfy their desires.

“Apart from this election, other steps taken by these individuals to ridicule Nigeria as a nation and government should not be taken lightly by the Nigerian authority, as these embarrassments are now a reoccurring decimal.

“The decision by FIBA Africa to bar Nigeria’s representatives, Rivers Hoopers, from participating in the second Basketball Africa League (BAL), was instigated by these folks; and the indiscretion that apparently provoked the protest by the D’Tigress over non-payment of their allowances, are few examples. 
   
“As categorically stated by the Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, no constitution or individual is bigger than Nigeria, on this declaration, we stand,” it added.