A major stakeholder in Nigerian basketball, Col Sam Ahmedu (rtd) says it is wrong for people to blame the immediate past President of Nigeria Basketball Federation Engr. Musa Kida for the botched election of the Federation; saying that the Ministry should take the blame.
In an interview with our correspondent, he explained that all arrangements have been put in place for a successful election into the board of the Federation before a letter was received from the Sports Ministry stopping the election on the excuse they wanted to sort out some issues and they later set up a reconciliation committee which I learnt has submitted its report and we’re waiting for the 31st January 2022 for the election as directed by FIBA.
On the controversy surrounding Jerseys for the national teams, he explained that since the Ministry said they’ve taken over the team, they should not expect anybody to get Jerseys for them because it’s morally wrong to start demanding for Jerseys that was paid with someone’s money.
“The last Jerseys bought were for the Olympic Games which has come and gone and how do you expect someone who bought those Jerseys with his personal money to hand them over to the Ministry when they have told the whole world that they’ve taken over the sports.
Col Ahmedu also cleared the air on monies owned players which he said has been paid.
“For the money owned players, a lot of people jump into conclusion when they don’t know the facts at hand and when I came out to make clarifications, some people including players called me all sorts of names and said I was lying.
CJN commissions digital courtroom, urges effective justice delivery
“The truth of the matter is that the money they were talking about was never with the Federation but with the Ministry and domiciled with the CBN and the Ministry explained this severally. I’m even happy that the girls have been paid $ 9,500 each and this was confirmed by the Secretary General of the Federation when we appeared before the Federal House of Representatives. But the men are yet to receive their own because they refused to submit their account numbers.
Responding to players’ training grants, the President of Dodan Warriors Basketball Club of Lagos explained that the NBBF does not pay training grants to players and the Sports Ministry has promised that all the training grants will be paid.
On match bonuses promised D’Tigress at the Olympics by Kida, he stated that when they appeared before the Federal Lawmakers, Kida accepted that he made some promises but is waiting for the Ministry to reimburse him the money he spent on camping the team before he could fulfil the promise noting that the House after listening to his explanation, told him to fulfil the promise whether the Ministry reimburses him or not and that he should pay the players $ 59,000 instead of the $ 73,000 they’re demanding even as he assured that the former President is making efforts to fulfil the promise.
