Nigerian Basketball Stakeholders have questioned the new found relationship between the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and the out gone President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), Ahmadu Musa Kida, stressing that the relationship is unhealthy for the credible, free and fair election into the board.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke under the condition of anonymity alleged that Dare must have been financially induced by Kida otherwise he (Minister) would not have dancing to the tone of Kida even at the detriment of the game and its administration in the country.
It will be recalled that on Wednesday the ministry of sports had issued a statement recognizing the NBBF Constitution as presented by the caretaker president Kida claiming that FIBA endorsed it as well.
But stakeholders rejected the said constitution during their meeting on Thursday while other federations’ election held.
One of the dissolved board members said, why they wanted the right thing to be done during and after the election is because the out gone President, Kida ran the federation as if it was his personal business.
He noted that Kida appropriated and disbursed money without due process a situation the board members were not comfortable with but surprise that despite that the Minister of sports did not see anything wrong in that, but aided him to do even more than their expectation.
They said, caretaker committee does not have the right to conduct election into the new board of the NBBF, but the ministry of sports via a press statement made available to newsmen which was signed by Dr. S. E. Ebhojiaye Ag. Director, FEAD said the NBBF President has the power to call for a Congress to draw up the electoral process. Though, Kida is a caretaker committee President.
However, the stakeholder faulted the minister of sports, Sunday Dare for conniving with Kida to allow ALPHA sponsored the basketball teams to the just concluded Olympics game, adding that corporate companies like PUMA, NIKE, among others would have done that with financial compensation to the federation and even the players.
Meanwhile, they urged Nigerians to ask Dare and Kida what they NBBF and the players benefited from the deal, because according to them there is something Dare and Kida are hiding from the masses over the deal.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders meeting on Thursday ended in deadlock.