NBBF congress pits the federation president, Ahmadu Kida and sports minister in a supremacy battle
By Uzor Odigbo
Ex-President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ahmadu Musa Kida seems to have paid the price for insubordination, as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare has sacked him as the chairman of the NBBF Caretaker Committee.
A letter from the Federation referenced: NBBF/FMY&SD.4/2021/VOL.XVIII/198 dated 25th October 2021 and copied Director of Sports/General Managers/Chairmen Basketball States Association, and signed by Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi, partly rocks Kida’s boat.
The letter on the headed paper of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, in part 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 30th October, 2021 in Edo State”.
Another letter with reference number: NBBF/M.31/2021/Vol.IV/93 of October 26, 2021 and signed by Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi sums it up for Kida to look elsewhere.
The letter partly reads: “As you may recall that the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on 4th May, 2021, inaugurated the Caretaker Committees for 31 National Sports Federations, including Basketball, to run thea affairs of the respective Federations ahead of election of their new Boards.
“As the Nigeria Basketball Federation prepares for its Elective Congress, I am directed to inform you that the Federation’s Caretaker Committee has been dissolved with immediate effect”.
Some stakeholders of the NBBF have urged Musa Kida to respect the decision by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on the suspension of the NBBF Elective Congress.
Stanley Gumut, the newly elected Player Representative for the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) had during a press briefing organised by the NBBF players, Ex-D’Tigers, as well as other stakeholders, called on Kida to respect the decision of the ministry.
A statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ismaila Abubakar, on Monday had directed an indefinite suspension of the NBBF Elective Congress scheduled for Saturday, October 30, 2021 in Benin.
However, a counter statement emanated from Musa Kida, Chairman, NBBF Caretaker Committee, on Tuesday, challenging the authenticity of the ministry’s directives.
The statement from Kida read in part: “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 an usurpation of the powers of the NBBF Congress as enshrined in the NBBF Statutes.
“It is also repugnant to Natural Justice, Equity and good conscience and amounts to an arbitrary use of power, after the ministry has confirmed on several occasions to the existence of our constitution and the supremacy of the NBBF congress to conduct its affairs as dictated by the NBBF constitution,” it said.
Gumut told newsmen that it was surprising to note that Kida was challenging the authenticity of the ministry’s press statement, inspite of a confirmation letter to that effect which also came from the NBBF’s Secretary General, Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi.
He noted that the confirmation letter attached with the statement from the ministry was trasmitted to all stakeholders, including the Director of Sports, General Manager and Chairmen, Basketball State Association.
“Let me first of all appreciate the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, under the leadership of Sunday Dare and the Permanent Secretary, Ismaila Abubakar for their intervention in the NBBF crisis so far.
