NBBF Impasse: Stakeholders hit Sports Minister over support of Kida-Led Board

By Albert Akota 

Basketball Stakeholders have reacted to the “subtle imposition”  of Engr.Musa Kida as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation(NBBF), by the Federal Ministry of Youth Sports Development,describing the action as illogical,irrational,unreasonable and miscarriage of justice.  

The group under the umbrella “New Face of Basketball” questioned the methodology used by the Sports Minister,Mr.Sunday Dare to pick Engr.Kida as the NBBF President after publicly acknowledging that two elections took place on January 31,2022.

Spokesman of the group and Chairman of Kaduna state Basketball Association, Pastor Scambo Morrision in a media briefing yesterday in Abuja,said  the group had maintained silence for the sake of peaceful resolution and the amendment of the controversial Constitution of the Basketball Federation.       

Pastor Morrison added that the group has options at their disposal if the Sports Minister fails to retrace his steps, by doing the right thing.

“So, it is not news that the minister of Youth and Sports indeed acknowledged that there were two elections. But our big surprise till today is that the minister and ministry never came out to talk to us about the findings of those elections.As good citizens of this country, we have remained very quiet, calm and disciplined waiting to hear the outcome of those elections.

But till this day, nobody has called this particular faction to say anything to them concerning the election. Instead, we now found out that there were couple of people parading themselves as the ‘custodians of basketball in Nigeria.We want the minister to know that we have options if he he fails to do the right thing”.Pastor Morrison stated.

The Kaduna Basketball Chairman continued.

“We therefore want a clarification of how Kida emerged to become the president of the NBBF, knowing well that the minister who is in charge of sports in Nigeria acknowledged and pronounced that there were two elections and that his ministry  was looking into the issue to make sure that things were resolved in the NBBF.”He said.