The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has warned clubs to stay away from featuring in illegal leagues and that failure to comply will attract punishment (bans).
This was made known by the Musa Kida-led faction through its secretary Chiemezie Asiegbu as he warned that clubs are at the risk of losing their positions in the Premier Basketball League and any other NBBF organized competition if they feature in the Invitational Tournament scheduled to kickoff on May 6.
According to Asiegbu, the pronouncement from the Musa Kida-led board was necessary so as to avoid a repeat of what happened last season where clubs said they were not officially informed to stay away from tournaments not sanctioned by the NBBF.
He further said that the NBBF board under Engineer Musa Kida is the only body recognized by @FIBA, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
In his words, Asiegbu said: “No other person or group of persons can hold itself out as the #NBBF. @FIBA is presently dealing with Ahmadu Musa Kida (President), Babatunde Ogunade (Vice President) and Chimezie Asiegbu (Secretary General).”
“@fiba has made its position known regarding Basketball issues in Nigeria. It is clear who is in charge of basketball affairs in the country until such time that a new constitution will be drafted which will usher in the elections”. he added.
The NBBF has been embroiled in a leadership tussle for the better part of the last one year with Musa Kida and Tijani Umar battling for the right to be the president.
Asiegbu said the Musa Kida-led NBBF is the only body authorized to organize the country’s National Premier Competition from where the Champions and the Runners Up will be selected to represent Nigeria in any international Club Competition and that those sympathetic to the group led by the former NBBF President (Tijani Umar) may argue that the federation is not under any elected board at the moment but there are individuals currently saddled with running its affairs and corresponding with the international Basketball body, FIBA.
