Nigerian basketball fans under the aegis of the Nigerian Sports Advancement Group (NSAG) have given reasons why the Federal Government must investigate the Musa Kida led board of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF).
The group said basketball in Nigeria is gradually fizzling out because of the lack of foresight and good initiative on the part of those managing it at the moment.
Also, the group in a press briefing held in Abuja on Monday said that the FG should investigate the funds it has released to the federation under Musa Kida over the years, especially during international events like the Olympics.
NSAG Chairman, Barr. Charles Offiong said the federation through the basketball team’s coach opens a GOFUNDME account where ex-basketball players who are based in abroad sent in money to assist the team in Olympics participation, therefore, the need for proper accountability.
Offiong said that the NBBF should be asked to give an account of the money realized in the last few years under the leadership of the current caretaker’s president, Kida. adding that no single home-based basketball player was listed in the Olympics male (D’Tigers) and the female team (D’Tigress) to Tokyo’s Olympics, suffice it to say that the federation has not been preparing the home-based players for international events but they have made a lot of money which they failed to use and develop home-based players.
“Our responsibility is to raise the alarm whenever things are no longer going well with our sports; mostly from the administrative angle to enable us to find a solution.
This is because sports in Nigeria have proven to be a unifying factor for the relative peace we enjoy in this country, notwithstanding the recent insecurity challenges in the country.”
Offiong noted that instead of Musa Kida led the NBBF caretaker committee looking for ways to develop the game of basketball which was competing with football in the past, he is busy plotting how to stop Nigerians from contesting the forthcoming NBBF elections.
Unfortunately, there is unnecessary interferences and the connivance by actors in the administration to use draconian guidelines to stop our foreign-based ex-basketball players who have gathered experience and the passion to lead our basketball to its Eldorado. So, ” We kick against such move by Kida led caretaker committee and warn if that is not checked by the FG, it will sink the game in the country.”
“Our findings have shown those former basketball players like; Masai Ujiri (President Toronto Raptors), Isa Umar (NBBF board member) and Ejike Ugboaja (Players representative at the NBBF) and many others out there could be the messiah basketball players in Nigeria are waiting for but the move by Kida and co to prevent them from contesting the position of the president is a move against the growth of the game and we condemn it in its entirety.
“Nigeria basketball fans will not tolerate any guidelines that will undermine the growth of basketball in the country. If Nigeria can have a foreign coach and foreign players while not have Nigerians in Diaspora who have had experience in the game and in the administration of basketball to be involved in the board by contesting the Presidency of the NBBF in order to take the game to the appropriate level.
“We believe that all Nigerians; home or abroad who wishes to contest for any position in the upcoming basketball federation election should be allowed once the statute is not against it.
We are by this press briefing calling on the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare to set up the electoral Committee accordingly to include the interest of Nigerian home and abroad because anything short of that will be resisted by all,” Offiong said
