Stakeholders, NBBF trade words over N500m fundraising

@shagcy Stakeholders in the Nigerian basketball have expressed dismay at the fundraising ceremony recently held by the ‘dissolved board’ of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), describing it as an attempt to defraud the system.

They wondered what informed the decision of the organisers for the Five Hundred Million Naira (N500m) launching which was held in Lagos on May 19, despite the recent dissolution of all National Sports federations’ boards.

But in a swift reaction, the NBBF said the current executive was still in place and has the right to organise the fundraiser.

A presidential aspirant for the NBBF board, Musa Kida expressed shock that despite the compliance of other federations to the Federal Government directive, the NBBF chose to test their might against the government.

The South-South representative on the NBBF board said despite the organisers realising a meagre N2.8 million after the event targeted to raise N500 million, “the argument should not be about how much was realised at the event, this particular case bothers on the legality of such event. If we want to come before equity, we must come with a clean hand.”

Similarly, Proprietor of Lagos Warriors Basketball Club, Col. Samuel Ahmedu (rtd) described the event as a bad move by the ‘former’ board of the NBBF who lacked the credibility to hold brief on behalf of the federation.

Ahmedu who doubles as the President of FIBA Africa zone 3 questioned the intention behind the suspicious move to urgently raise money months after the federation announced a $12 million sponsorship deal with an international organization.

“The N500m NBBF Fund Raiser was abysmal because it was rushed with other extraneous considerations by the dissolved board members of the Federation. Though the management of Inspire Management gave its best, it was doomed to fail because the members lacked credibility, having outlived their tenure and usefulness,” Ahmedu said.

Spokesman of the NBBF board Patrick Omorodion, however told Daily Trust on phone yesterday that the board has not committed any crime for organising the launching aimed at advancing the game of basketball in Nigeria.

“In the eyes of FIBA, we are still in office because the minister has no right to dissolve the board; no vacuum is expected because the current board is to hand over to the incoming one. So, let us follow international standard in doing things. As far as we are concerned, we are still in office and working as you can see that we are running the male and the female leagues.

“On the issue of where the money goes, the NBBF has an account and this money will be lodged there,” Omorodion said.