Basketball Players Question Dare’s Silence on NBBF Leadership Crisis

Olawale Ajimotokanand Fola Alaran in Abuja

Nigerian basketball players have criticized the indifference of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, to the crisis that has led to emergence of two factional boards at the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), headed by Igoche Mark and Ahmadu Musa Kida.

The players, led by Ejike Ugboaja and Stanley Gumut, expressed their displeasure when they staged a protest yesterday at the Federal Ministry of Sports in Abuja yesterday.

Ugboaja said the minister should not sit on the fence and must show boldness in addressing the issues without sentiment.

“The two elections were concluded two weeks ago, and we don’t know the stand of the 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 President and not the ministry running the show.

“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 fumed.

Also, Gumut, who is the present Players Representative in the NBBF factional board headed by Igoche Mark, insisted that basketball players in the country and abroad have thrown their lot in support of Mark and are not ready 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 it. We the players are the pioneers of this game and we don’t want to play free basketball anymore. The minister is supposed to come out and talk to us as a father, but the man has been shying away from talking to us and his action becoming worrisome to us,” Gumut concluded.