Following the directive by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on Monday suspending the earlier scheduled Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF)’s election, the embattled caretaker committee chairman of the NBBF, Ahmed Musa Kida, has insisted the election slated in Benin must go ahead.
However, the secretary general of the NBBF, AfolabiOluwayemi Olabisi, had on Monday transmitted a letter to the director of sports, general managers and all the chairmen of basketball association across the 36 states and the FCT notifying them of the position of the ministry, which suspended the election indefinitely. The letter reads, “I am directed to forward the press statement from the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to you on the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Electoral Congress earlier scheduled to hold on 3oth October 2021 in Edo state.” Meanwhile, a press statement from the Kida led-caretaker committee yesterday had earlier declared the Monday statement by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as illegal and insisted that the election must go ahead as planned.
The state read in parts, “The attention of the NBBF is drawn to an unsigned Press Release credited to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (FMY& S), on several Social Media, dated 24th October 2021, stating that the NBBF Elective Congress slated for Benin City, Edo State, on the 30th of October, 2021, as approved by the NBBF Extra-Ordinary Congress of 9th October, 2021, in Abuja, which was in line with the provisions of the 2019 NBBF approved Statutes, has been postponed indefinitely.
“This purported postponement is without any legal basis and indeed a usurpation of the powers of the NBBF Congress as enshrined in the NBBF Statutes. It is also repugnant to Natural Justice, Equity and a good conscience and amounts to the arbitrary use of power after the ministry has confirmed on several occasions the existence of our constitution and the supremacy of the NBBF Congress to conduct its affairs as dictated by the NBBF constitution. “We make the above statement affirming that after 2017, from the FIBA fact finding Team’s visit to Nigeria in 2018, FIBA, supported by pronouncements by the Nigerian Courts, had put to rest who is the recognized President of the NBBF. The postponement of a duly approved Elective Congress under the guise of a nonexistent leadership tussle is therefore meant to mislead all concerned in order to justify this ultra vires act. “It is also instructive to note that all arrangements have been put in place for the Elective Congress in Benin and FIBA has already taken note of the date of the elective congress and has nominated a representative to monitor the Elective Congress. All the delegates to the elective congress have received their letters of Invitation and are ready to attend. All these congresses are at a huge cost to the federation that has a deficit treasury. “We fully know that FIBA is aware and is vastly informed on this matter. “In view of the full arrangements already made for the Elective Congress in Benin, on the 30th of October, 2021, We hereby wish to inform all invited delegates and Candidates that the NBBF is still going ahead with the Elective Congress as approved by the Extraordinary Congress of the 9th of October, 2021, unless it is decided otherwise by the NBBF Congress,” the statement concluded.
It will be recalled that we had earlier reported that the basketball players are poised for a battle with the embattled outgoing President of the NBBF, Kida if he goes ahead with the proposed election in Benin. We also reported that the newly elected players’ rep, Stanley Gumut was given an observer status in the last extraordinary congress of the NBBF held in Abuja and likewise many others who were genuine stakeholders thereby preventing them from speaking at the said congress.