Sport ministry dissolves Kida-led NBBF caretaker committee

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has ordered the immediate dissolution of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Caretaker Committee headed by Musa Kida, ahead of the federation’s elections.

In a letter addressed to Kida and Prof. Florence Adeyanju, member, Caretaker Committee, NBBF, the sports ministry, thanked the duo for their contributions to the development of basketball in Nigeria.

The statement, signed by the Secretary-General of NBBF, Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi, said: “As you may recall that the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, on May 4, 2021, inaugurated the Caretaker Committees for 31 National Sports Federations, including Basketball, to run the affairs of the respective Federations ahead of elections 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.

“The Federation appreciates your contribution to the development of Basketball in Nigeria.” the letter added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dissolution of the committee comes barely 24 hours after a press release signed by its Permanent Secretary, Ismaila Abubakar, had directed the indefinite suspension of the NBBF Elective Congress earlier scheduled for Saturday, in Benin.

However, Kida reacted by urging stakeholders to ignore what he referred to as “an unsigned press statement credited to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development indefinitely postponing the NBBF elections.”

In a statement he signed, Kida said the purported postponement was illegal and a direct usurpation of the powers of the NBBF Congress as enshrined in the 2019 NBBF statutes.

The statement described the move as ”repugnant to natural justice, equity, good conscience and an arbitrary use of power”.

It also noted that the ministry and the Nigeria Olympics Committee, had on numerous occasions, confirmed the existence of a valid constitution sanctioned by the Federation of International Basketball Associations in conducting its affairs as dictated by the NBBF constitution.

Kida stressed that the NBBF Elective Congress would go on as scheduled on Saturday in Benin.