Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare
The last has not been heard about the crisis in the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) as the crisis has taken another twist, this time around a war of letters.
Recalled that the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development had ordered that the earlier proposed election for the federation be suspended so that it will offer its the opportunity to mediate in the crisis rocking the federation.
Meanwhile, the former NBBF President Engineer Ahmed Musa Kida earlier rejected the ministry order and insisted that they were going to go ahead with the election slated for October 30, 2021, in Benin the Edo state capital. But after reasons prevailed on him, he eventually accepted the decision of the ministry which by implication he seizes to be the NBBF caretaker committee chairman.
On November 9, 2021, the NBBF Secretary-General Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi had written to Kida the former President to oblige the ministry/taskforce managing the affairs of the NBBF with the basketball equipment and kits in his possession to enable them prepared the male basketball senior team (D’Tigers) for the Fiba basketball world cup qualifier in Benguela.
This followed the October 26, 2021, letter which dissolved the caretaker committee of the NBBF.
According to Olabisi, “I write to inform you that Nigerian senior men’s Team (D’Tigers) will be participating at the FIBA World Cup Qualifier in Benguela, Angola from 25th-28t9 November 2021 this championship will serve as qualifiers to the 2022 Fiba world cup.
“In the light of the above, I have been directed to request you to hand over all the NBBF sporting equipment/kits in your custody to the secretariat of the Nigeria Basketball Federation,” she said.
But, that has not gone down well with the embattled former NBBF president, Kida and responded with a strong-worded letter using the letter headed paper of the NBBF despite his tenure having expired and the caretaker period too.
In his letter, Kida had threatened the ministry to return the six million naira (N6m) he used for Customs and clearing charges.
He went further to threaten the Sec-Gen of the NBBF for a possible embarrassment to the basketball and the country in general.
Hear him, “It will excite you to know that the PEAK sponsorship with the NBBF has been for the provision of uniform on a tournament-by-tournament basis, the last being the carry forward the 2020 Olympics held this year, as the contract itself has expired last year.
“You are also aware of the enormous challenges with Customs for the last batch of Olympic Uniform this year. It required the serious interventions of the Hon Minister FMYSD with the Federal Ministry of Finance to make it a reality.
”The official receipt Customs and clearing charges that the NBBF had to incur in getting the uniforms out of Apapa Wharf was more than N6m, which I fully paid that’s yet to be refunded from the Ministry.
“The remnants are very incomplete pieces of outfit as with other consignments in the past. I would urge you to process my refund efficiently and once that’s done, I can hand over the remnants of the kits from Tokyo Olympics.”
“In as much as I believe that you’re illegal and deliberately usurping the power of the NBBF Board by trying to create Task Force to organize and undertake FIBA November qualifier, you can contact PEAK directly to purchase equipment or kits from them for your intended purposes,” Kida said.
Core Reporters report that the Ministry of Sports had earlier set up a four-man Task Force Committee to take charge of the NBBF Super 8 League and D’Tigers next
