Basketball players protest in Abuja, want NBBF constitution amended
Nigerian basketball players are calling for the amendment of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)’s constitution ahead of the federation’s elective congress. The NBBF’s elective congress has been slated for October 30, 2021 in Benin, Edo State and the players are also expressing concerns over the sudden change of venue. They said the constitution, allegedly designed […]
Some Nigerian basketball players protesting in Abuja yesterday
Nigerian basketball players are calling for the amendment of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)’s constitution ahead of the federation’s elective congress.
The NBBF’s elective congress has been slated for October 30, 2021 in Benin, Edo State and the players are also expressing concerns over the sudden change of venue.
They said the constitution, allegedly designed by the Musa Kida’s faction and kept away from other stakeholders, was structured to favour Kida’s ambition to remain in power.
Speaking on behalf of hundreds of basketball players in Abuja on Thursday, the players’ representative in the NBBF board, Stanley Gumut of Mark Mentors, said the players were fed up with the antics of the ex-factional president.
“How can an interested party be the referee of the match he is also playing in?” He queried.
Kida is the Chairman of the NBBF Interim Committee and he has indicated interest to contest the NBBF presidential election come 30th October without stepping aside for an independent body to take charge.
“We are here today to let the whole world know our stance as players and our displeasure in what is going on with basketball in Nigeria.
“We had a leader who has no regard for the Nigerian basketball players and he wants to remain in office. In the last AGM, he called us thugs and hoodlums.
“We want to call on all the stakeholders and whoever is in charge to weigh into this crisis, the crisis is not gone.
“He has sat down by himself and done a particular document to suit himself to remain in that place [NBBF board].
“We want the government or whoever is in charge to look into this document and make it available for other contestants and all other leaders that we want to put in place so that we can rally around them and get our game changed.
“We, the Nigerian players, are not comfortable with that document, we are not comfortable with the process, we are not comfortable going to Benin,” he said.