Fresh crisis is brewing in the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) following protest launched by the current and former D’Tigers players as well as other stakeholders.
The stakeholders who staged a walk out from the an extra-ordinary Congress told Journalists that the Musa Kida-led caretaker committee refused to let any of them air his or her views.
They also alleged that such a crucial congress headed by Kida was illegal.
Newly elected players’ representative, Stanley Gumut, awaiting inauguration on NBBF board expressed displeasure over Kida’s disregard to the modus operandi guiding basketball practice in Nigeria.
Gumut specifically said he was given an observer tag to the congress despite his status as newly elected players’ representative.
“Everything at the Congress was flawed in a quest to carry out a particular agenda… For the outgone president of NBBF to say that the respected players who voted peacefully are thugs is most unfortunate,” he said.
Also speaking, a veteran basketball player Ejike Ugboaja said since Musa Kida has no regard for basketball players, they would have no option than to stop him from returning as the president of the NBBF.
“For Musa Kida to call basketball players in Nigeria who have represented the country and won laurels for the country in several tournaments as thugs and hoodlums is something we cannot take from him,” he said.
“The players’ reps and the technical election held last Saturday where I was an observer and conducted by the electoral committee set up by Kida himself, why on earth would Kida call players ‘thugs and hoodlums, so why should Kida insult us in the presence of everybody at the congress?” he queried.
Responding, Kida denied calling basketball players hoodlums and thugs but confirmed that he said thugs invaded the venue of the election and caused violence.
“I didn’t say players were hoodlums and thugs, but I did say, there was violence at the venue of the said election.
“I did say there were thugs at the election venue last Saturday,” Kida said.
