• The Minister, Sunday Dare has been evading us
• He should speak to us, those in the diaspora are eager to hear from Minister
Nigerian Basketball Players have urged the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, to resolve the lingering leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, just as they have vowed to resist every attempt to impose Engr Musa Kida as the NBBF President.
They described the previous NBBF board under Engr Kida as, ‘sham and a global disgrace to basketball administration’.
• NBBF leadership contenders…Musa Kida (left) and stakeholders’ favourite, Igoche Mark (right)
The players, who stormed the office of the Sports Minister on Tuesday to register their displeasure, frowned at the posture of the Games Master in the handling the leadership impasse rocking the federation.
Speaking to journalists, a former NBA Player and Board Member under the Engr Musa Kida-led board, Mr Ejike Ugboaja, urged the Sports Minister to be bold and man enough and address the issue without sentiment.
• Former and present Players Representatives on NBBF Board…Ejike Ugbuaja (left) and Stanley Gumut (right)
“The two elections were concluded two weeks ago, and we don’t know the stand of the Sports Minister. I served under the Musa Kida’s board, and I have played the game for more than 12 years. We have never experienced this type of problem before. Except the Minister has been compromised, I think by today, we ought to have our NBBF President and not the ministry running the affairs of the federation.
“We want the Minister to come out and tell us what is going on, we want him to address us, we want the Minister, as the father of the game, to tell us his position. Without the players, there is no basketball,” Ugboaja stated.
In his reaction, the present Players Representative in the board of the NBBF, Mr Stanley Gumut, said that basketball players, home and abroad have thrown their weight behind Mr Igoche Mark, insisting that the players have vowed not to repeat the mistake made four years ago.
“We don’t want to repeat the mistake we made four years ago; wasted time is what we don’t want to repeat again. All our fight is about players’ welfare. The truth of the matter is that, we the players have thrown our weight behind Mr Igoche Mark.
“Unfortunately, the Ministry is not saying anything about what’s going on in basketball federation. We the players are the pioneers of this game, and we don’t want to play free basketball anymore. The Minister is suppose to come out and talk to us as a father, but the man has been shying away from talking to us and his action is becoming worrisome to us,” Gumut said.
The Basketball Players have however vowed to resist every attempt to impose Engr Musa Kida as the NBBF President, as they described the previous NBBF board under Engr Kida as ‘sham and a global disgrace to basketball administration’.
