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Development from grassroots crucial to my vision for basketball in Nigeria, Sports Minister assures

Grassroots
Abuja, Sept. 23, 2019 (NAN) Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, on Monday in Abuja said grassroots development of basketball aligns with his vision for overall sports development in Nigeria.

“It is important that the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) works to develop both the male and female teams with the same energy and resources.

“Developing the local leagues is critical to the development of the sport. I also want to see more tournaments organised at grassroots level,” the minister said during a meeting with the NBBF board.

He said the Sports Ministry on its part has an ambitious plan to have at least one basketball court in each senatorial district of the country, complete with instructors.

“Attention should be paid to a deliberate development of the game at the grassroots level, because my vision for sports development is hinged on the grassroots.

“And it is not only in basketball, because we are working on floating a Headmaster’s Cup in primary schools as well as revamping the Principal’s Cup in secondary schools,” Dare said.

The minister said the timing of the meeting with the NBBF could not have been better, as it marked the start of the federation’s preparations towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, recently at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, booked the sole automatic ticket for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

They achieved this by defeating Cameroon and China in classification round matches at the World Cup.

“This meeting is significant because it signals the informal start of our preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“With basketball being the first team sport to qualify for the Games, the choice of inviting the NBBF board first in what will be a series of engagements of boards of federations ahead of the Olympics is symbolic,” the sports minister said.

He also congratulated the NBBF for what he referred to as “two years of unprecedented achievements” in basketball, saying Nigerians now have high expectations of basketball.

“Your efforts and sweat have yielded results and I congratulate you. Nigerians are getting used to basketball successes. So, your job is cut out.

“You are now expected to succeed more, develop more and discover more talents for the national teams.

“I have witnessed two years of unprecedented achievements in basketball and it is down to your efforts. I hope we can keep it up,” Dare said.

The minister also said while Nigeria was already late in preparing for Tokyo 2020 which begins about 300 days’ time, the meeting has now marked the start of Nigeria’s informal countdown.

NAN reports that while NBBF’s achievements have been acknowledged, the federation has also been rocked on the other side by leadership crisis, with the factionalisation of its board.

Dare said it was important for all issues to be brought to the table for amicable solutions.

“It is important to bring any contentious issue to the table so that we can collectively deal with such an issue. This is applicable to all federations.

“Yes, there are challenges, ranging from financial to structural, but we will continue to be innovative in managing sports affairs,” he said.

In his remarks, NBBF President, Musa Kida, agreed with the minister that grassroots development was crucial to sustaining the gains of the last few years.

“The federation is taking bold steps to grow the game at the grassroots in a sustainable way. Already, the minister has shown great vision and passion for sports.

“We will continue to work hard to ensure that the game continues to grow in Nigeria,” he said.

Kida thanked the minister for his support during the FIBA World Cup in China, which he said motivated both the players and coaching crew.

“The minister engaged each player and coach during the tournament to motivate the team.

“The men’s national team has qualified for the Olympics by picking the only automatic ticket available to Africa. The women’s team too has assured us that they will book a place at the Games,” he said.

Kida also used the opportunity to update the minister about events in the NBBF.

“We have plans to begin the 2019 Premier League by October and the women’s league has already gone through two windows.

“By mid-October, we will finalise with our sponsors on when the conference phase will commence,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olusade Adesola, in his remarks spoke briefly, saying: “This is the first of many engagements between the minister and boards of federations, especially those hopeful of a place at the Olympics.

“It is not a surprise that basketball was invited first. Hopefully, the meeting will provide outcomes that will lead to greater achievements in sports.”(NAN)
KIA/KOLE/OLAL
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(Edited by Remi Koleoso and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

No leadership tussle in NBBF, Kida says

Tussle
Abuja, Sept. 23 (NAN) Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), on Monday in Abuja insisted that the federation was not having any leadership crisis.

Speaking after he and some NBBF board members had a meeting with Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Kida said there was only one NBBF president presently.

“The Nigeria Basketball Federation has only one president and that is Musa Kida. You can go and confirm that on FIBA website.

“It is only the one who gets invited to the FIBA world congress that is the recognised leader of the board.

“As a matter of fact, the recognition of Nigeria as the Best Improved Women’s National Team by FIBA was handed to me as NBBF president.

“There could be problems of different opinions on how to do things and I acknowledge that there are challenges, but there is no leadership tussle,” he said.

Asked where he stood on the purported leadership crisis, Dare told reporters that he was being briefed on the matter and other matters by his team.

“It’s just about 32 to 33 days that I assumed office and I am still being briefed by all my directors at the ministry. I am also meeting with the federations.

“I met with the NFF on Friday and we had a fruitful discussion and today I have met with the NBBF. We have some housekeeping matters to discuss.

“I am going to leave it at that. We are aware of what is happening but above all we have our eyes at the tip of the spear because what is important at this point is the success of our team.

“We will discuss every important issue and look for ways to resolve them,” he said.

Nigeria moved up 10 places in the recently-released FIBA rankings and Kida said he was not surprised, following the antecedents of the national teams at recent tournaments.

“The latest FIBA ranking does not come to me as a surprise. We promised when we came in that we were going to make Nigeria basketball’s best destination in Africa.

“Our female team came eighth in the world at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup, thus becoming the first team from Africa to reach the knock-out stage,” he said.(NAN)
KIA/ESAN/OLAL
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(Edited by Abiodun Esan and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Kida says D’Tigers’ target now automatic Tokyo Olympics ticket

Basketball
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Lagos, Sept. 3, 2019 (NAN) D’Tigers have now shifted their attention to qualifying for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), said on Tuesday.

Kida said Nigeria’s senior national male basketball team, after two successive losses against Russia and Argentina at the ongoing FIBA World Cup in China, have now refocused.

“Finishing at the World Cup as the highest-placed African team is now a major catch for the team and they are motivated to book an automatic 2020 Olympic Games ticket,’’ he said in a statement by Afolabi Oni, NBBF board member and media representative.

Kida said he and the players have, in order to achieve this, set their eyes on victory against South Korea on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team has already bowed out of the contention for a medal finish in China.

“Clearly, for us, the qualification (for the Olympic Games) through the World Cup is still there and if we beat South Korea, I am sure we will come out as the best performing African country in the World Cup.

“This will give us an automatic ticket to the 2020 Olympics,’’ the NBBF president, who lamented Saturday’s loss against Russia in a match he described as “winnable’’, said.

Kida, however, noted that the failure to emerge as the best African team for an automatic Olympics ticket would mean for the NBBF a return to the drawing board.

“We are still alive and on course for the Olympics. Even if that doesn’t happen, we will still go for the Olympic qualifiers, and we will have to immediately start preparations.”

Meanwhile, current FIBA Afrobasket Women champions D’Tigress will return to Dakar where they won their fourth title to start their Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in November.(NAN)
BAO/DE/OLAL
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(Edited by Dorcas Jonah and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

No court stopped us from working, NBBF boss Kida says

NBBF

Emmanuel Afonne
Abuja, April 14, 2019 (NAN) Factional President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida, says there is no court injunction restraining him and his board from carrying out any activity in the name of NBBF.

Kida said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) following reports that his board had no right to organise the just-concluded 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the federation held in Abuja on Saturday (April 13).

“There is no court injunction stopping us from doing anything, what you see in the press is the figment of some people who sit down and begin to misinterpret the decision of the court,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one El Hassan Auwalu and Abdullahi Bello had in 2017 joined the Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung, Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) and the NBBF as defendants in a suit challenging the authenticity of the election which brought Kida as president.

The NOC and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development were dragged into the matter having participated in the election as observers.

But a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice B.O. Quadri later struck out the case, saying that the suit would amount to merely an academic exercise since the matter was already before the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA), which the NBBF is an affiliate, in addition to its membership of the NOC.

In a related issue, Justice A.I. Chikere of Federal High Court in Abuja, had in an order of interlocutory injunction granted on March 18, 2019, restrained both factions of NBBF led by Kida and Tijani Umar from parading themselves as head of the federation until the case filed before it by boards of Kwese Premier League and two clubs — Gombe Bulls and Kwara Falcons Basketball Clubs, is resolved.

The teams which are winners and runners up of the 2018 Kwese Premier Basketball League are challenging the NBBF’s plan to organise an “abridged” Premier Basketball League for the purpose of selecting the country’s representatives in the 2018/2019 Africa Basketball League, the FIBA Africa champion clubs tournament.

However, Kida explained that it was not correct to say that there was an order of the court preventing his board from performing its duties after the court struck out the matter.

“At the beginning of our tenure, Auwalu sued the Ministry of Sports and the minister in person before the election of June 13, 2017 that brought us, trying to stop it from holding.

“After our election, Auwalu in his suit also joined us individually and collectively in the NBBF for the court to rule that we are not a board or we should not be the NBBF.

“What has happened in the last two weeks is that the court has struck it out and has said that we are the NBBF board elected on June 13, so, we challenge those misinterpreting the court ruling to prove that there is a court injunction stopping us from working.

“We have analysed it very well and we have made public statements and we abide by that because we are law abiding people,” he said.

Kida also explained that the Kwese league management which claimed it had an order of court stopping his board from running the NBBF, had no relationship whatsoever with the federation and wondered why it was attaching itself where it does not belong.

He said: “How can the Kwese League management which was formed amorphously without any legal backing or legal standing issue an order on NBBF that it has no relationship with whatsoever, claiming it has served us a court order? I find it so ridiculous and we shall take it to its finality.

“The premier league is part of our programme; normally we should kick-start it in May or June, and then we are going to be able to play home and away matches in a new format.

“But it’s going to be more elaborate than what we had in the past so that it will be an interesting professional league. (NAN)
EMAF/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

Sport

Avoidable leadership crisis hindering NBBF sponsorship drive – Kida

Avoidable leadership crisis hindering NBBF sponsorship drive – Kida

NBBF
Abuja, April 13, 2019 (NAN) The avoidable leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is telling on the federation’s sponsorship portfolio, according to Musa Kida, NBBF president.

Kida stated this in his welcome address at the 2019 NBBF Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Stakeholders’ Forum on Saturday in Abuja.

The NBBF president said the development was the fallout of the bad blood in the federation following the 2017 elections into its board.

“Against the background of the acrimonious election in 2017, this is indeed a time for sober reflection concerning the state of basketball in the country.

“Our sponsorship portfolio has taken a hit occasioned by the artificial NBBF crisis. However, we continue to make appreciable progress in this area,” Kida said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saturday’s AGM was the first since the 2017 elections into the board of the NBBF.

Two parallel elections were held in Kano and Abuja, leading to the factionalisation of the federation.

Kida, whose faction claims legitimacy, however, reiterated his willingness to work with all basketball stakeholders for the good of the game.

“I wish to state categorically that the present NBBF board is willing to work with each and every basketball stakeholder in Nigeria devoid of any sentiments.

“There is no ‘us’ or ‘them’ and we will continue to do all it takes to carry everyone along,” Kida said.

Kida may be referring to the Tijanni Umar-led NBBF faction, which has refused to recognise the Kida-led board.

Kida, a former Rivers State Basketball Association Chairman, however, urged basketball stakeholders in Nigeria to join hands to enable the game attain its desired height in Nigeria.

He also used the opportunity to enumerate the achievements of NBBF since he took over as head of the board.

He said Nigeria participated in and won the 2017 Afrobasket Women tournament in Mali.

The national women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, went ahead to become the first African side to reach the quarter-finals of the FIBA Women’s Wold Cup in Spain.

He also stated that Nigeria became the first country to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

The national men’s basketball team, the D’Tigers, also reached the final of the 2017 Afrobasket Men.

In his Goodwill message, Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), said the present NBBF board has ushered in the dawn of a new era in Nigeria’s basketball.

Represented by Francis Orbih, a vice president of the NOC, Gumel commended the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, for engineering the democratisation of sports federations.

“The minister led the democratisation of Nigeria’s sports federations, which has led to the achievements of the NBBF we are celebrating today.

“NBBF’s achievements have made other federations strive for success by desiring to fall in line with the minister’s democratisation,” Gumel said.

He also commended the NBBF for passing a new constitution which he said would be adopted at the AGM by delegates.

Hisham Elhariry, representative of world basketball governing body (FIBA) at the event, described Nigeria as a basketball powerhouse.

“Nigeria is one of the greatest basketball countries in all categories of the game. Nigeria has achieved great success in basketball, especially in the past two years,” he said.

He also congratulated the country for being the first to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

The NBBF 2019 AGM and Stakeholders’ Forum, attended by delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is expected to officially kick start a new basketball season.

It is also expected that delegates will ratify a new constitution for the federation in line with FIBA’s Statute.(NAN)
KIA/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide

Sport

Kida-led NBBF insists on holding AGM as scheduled, in spite of legal issues

NBBF
Abuja, April 9, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Tuesday insisted it would go ahead with its planned 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) slated for Saturday in Abuja in spite of some legal issues.

The federation being led by the Musa Kida-led faction of the basketball family has in recent weeks been challenged in court by another group of basketball stakeholders.

A legal action filed by the League Management Company (LMC) which runs the Kwese Premier Basketball League (KPBL) had asked the Kida-led NBBF to stop acting on behalf of all stakeholders.

Afolabi Oni, the NBBF Media Officer, in a statement on Tuesday assured that the AGM would hold as scheduled however.

He said the meeting would hold “in spite of stories making the rounds about a possible postponement of the AGM due to a court ruling’’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the KPBL had gone to court to seek the nullification of any basketball activity by the NBBF.

KPBL claimed that the world basketball governing body, FIBA, had nullified the two NBBF elections held in Kano and Abuja in June 2017 and concluded on having new elections.

It had also cited a March 29 judgment delivered by Justice Coram Quadri, which it claimed approved the nullity of both NBBF elections in 2017.

But the Kida-led NBBF described the legal action as the “last attempt by drowning men to confuse enthusiastic stakeholders ahead of the landmark event”.

It said it was worrisome that Josiah Daniel-Ebune, counsel to the KPBL, could be referring to another case which the body he was claiming to represent was not connected to in any way.

“We find it funny that this ….. body is referring to a case instituted by one El Hassan Auwalu and Abdullahi Bello in 2017 seeking to challenge the election that brought us on board.

“It definitely shows that some people whose aim is to disrupt basketball growth in Nigeria have now joined forces and are working together to distract our board by creating artificial crisis,” Kida was quoted as saying in the statement.

The NBBF said “unrecognised entities in the Nigerian basketball family cannot wave an ex parte order around the basketball body in Nigeria without the approval of FIBA’’.

The statement added that Kida’s NBBF had duly notified all relevant law enforcement agencies as a law-abiding citizen to forestall any breakdown of law and order.(NAN)
KIA/ECN/OLAL
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(Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

NBBF basketball season begins in April

Season

Abuja, March 28, 2019 (NAN) The 2019 domestic basketball season in Nigeria will start in April with stakeholders meeting, Congress and Annual General Meeting, according to the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

NBBF President, Musa Kida, gave the confirmation in a statement signed by Oni Afolabi, media officer to the federation, and made available to the Nrews Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Kida said the season will commence with stakeholders’ meeting which will review the achievements recorded so far.

“We shall start with the stakeholders forum and at the same time hold the congress and our Annual General Meeting.

“We will look at the last one and half years, review it to see the progress we have made so far, areas of concern, where we need to improve on while also listening to the stakeholders.

“Our congress should be able to validate what it is that we have done so far,” Kida was quoted to have said.

He further said that the Congress shall pave way for the commencement of the Total Men’s Division 2 League and the Zenith Women’s League amongst other domestic programs of the federation.

“As you know last year, Total Men’s Division 2 was very well attended and we had over 70 teams participating in the first stage.”

Kida further assured that more teams were expected to participate in the expanded Total Men’s Division 1 League.

“We have some teams that have also qualified from Division 2 to Division 1. Total Division 1 is going to be more elaborate especially with this expanded format.”

NAN reports that the NBBF president stressed that the domestic leagues will run over longer period than they did in the 2018 season.

This, he said, is important to give the leagues needed visibility, coverage and afford players more games. (NAN)

KIA/MZA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Sport

Kida-led NBBF says Aboderin’s death incomprehensible

NBBF
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, May 31, 2018 (NAN) The Musa Kida-led faction of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Thursday described the death of Dolphins Women’s Basketball Club Chairman Wale Aboderin as incomprehensible.

Afolabi Oni, the faction’s spokesman, said in a statement that Aboderin died on Wednesday at the age of 60 after a heart surgery.

“The board on Thursday paid a condolence visit to the deceased family after the sad news filtered into town on Wednesday evening, which left many people sad.

“The NBBF president, Musa Kida while reacting to the news, described Aboderin’s death as one that human minds could not easily comprehend.

“For a man who was so full of life and energy to just be reported dead will forever remain a mystery.

‘“His investment in basketball was unparalleled and the vacuum he left will be impossible to fill,” he quoted Kida as saying.

Oni said further that Kida added that, as a devoted Muslim, he would take solace in the fact that death was inevitable for every living soul.

“I pray that the soul of the departed will be granted eternal rest, and the family, friends and business associates he left behind the fortitude to bear the loss.

“I will urge us all to take solace in the supremacy of God over the affairs of mortals while we live here on earth.

“I am a bit lifted with the comments of people since he died which showed the exemplary life he lived,’’ Kida said.

Oni further disclosed that the NBBF Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade, on his part described the deceased as a true gentleman with a genuine passion for basketball and philanthropy.

“The news of Aboderin’s demise came as a very rude shock, because he was one of the very few who stood up to be counted in the development of basketball.

“He did at a great cost to himself. His unflinching interest and support for female basketball was infectious. He was always willing to help.

“He was with the female national team at Mali 2017, where we qualified for the World Cup in Spain,’’ Ogunade said.

Ogunade who took over from Aboderin as the Chairman of Lagos State Basketball Association said the association and the NBBF would miss his support.

Also, Oni disclosed that Samuel Ahmedu who represented the board during the visit to the family of late Punch Newspapers Chairmanas expressed deep shock at the death.

“He came, he lived, he touched lives, but left unannounced. We cannot question God, even though we are confused right now.

“But we take solace in the life you lived and the examples you showed to us. To live in the heart of those we love is not to die,” Ahmedu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a condolence register has since been opened at the NBBF secretariat at the National Stadium in Lagos.(NAN)
BAY/AO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

NBBF crisis: NOC official says FIBA deadline now Feb. 28

NAN-S-13
Basketball
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Dec. 13, 2017 (NAN) World basketball governing body FIBA has extended the deadline it set for the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to resolve its leadership tussle until Feb. 28.

Tunde Popoola, the Secretary-General of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the NOC had been able to secure an extension from Nov. 30.

FIBA had in July asked the NOC to resolve the NBBF crisis which began after parallel elections in Abuja and Kano which produced Musa Kida and Tijjani Umar as presidents.

However, after reconciliation efforts between then and November, Kida has been insisting on holding on to his mandate, while the immediate-past president Umar says a fresh election is acceptable to him.

NAN also reports that this had led the NOC to write to FIBA to seek an extension of the deadline.

“As of now a decision was taken actually, which will be made available to the press very shortly.

“But I think the issue is that we have moved the whole thing to Feb. 28,” Popoola said.

He also revealed that FIBA officials were expected to arrive in the country shortly, though there was no fixed date yet for their arrival.

“FIBA officials will come here between now and Feb. 28 and together we will look at the issue before taking a final decision on Feb. 28.

“However, the whole issue is not about FIBA. What we are saying, and our emphasis, is that after now nothing like this must happen in basketball again.

“It’s been a long run-out of events since the crisis began. So, we want to resolve this issue once and for all. That’s it,’’ the NOC official said.(NAN)
VO/DS/OLAL
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(Edited by Dauda Shehu and Olawale Alabi)

 

Sport

Basketball crisis: NOC to meet with NBBF factions Thursday in Abuja

NAN-S-4
Basketball
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Nov. 10, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will meet with the two factions of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Thursday in Abuja, the committee’s Secretary-General, Tunde Popoola, said on Friday.

Popoola said this was part of efforts to ensure peace returned to the administration of basketball in Nigeria before the Nov. 30 deadline given by the sport’s world governing body.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) had mandated NOC to resolve the dispute between the boards led by Tijjani Umar and Musa Kida.

FIBA, through its General Secretary, Patrick Baumann, had said in a letter addressed to both parties that failure to have an amicable resolution between the two groups could have consequences.

It had said such a situation would see it resorting to wielding the big stick, which could include sanctions on Nigeria.

Umar was elected as the NBBF President in Kano on June 12, while Kida was also elected as President in Abuja on June 13.

Popoola said the NOC was doing everything possible to amicably resolve the impasse before the Nov. 30 deadline.

“It is important however to note that the Nov. 16 meeting will be a fact-finding one. There are few things that need to be done and I think we have already done part of it.

“We have consulted widely and then, of course, we are going to now look this time around at the sport itself. We will also be beaming our focus on the athletes who are concerned.

“So, basically it is on those bases our judgement will be made. We must protect the sport and we must protect the athletes. It’s important.

“So, we expect that the meeting will be one in which we will rub minds with all parties concerned and resolve amicably the situation on ground.

“But, so far so good, we have done what we are supposed to do,” he said.

Popoola however said the reconciliation demanded from the NBBF factions by FIBA as presented in their letter written to the two boards was the only way forward.

“I think we need to start from the letter first. That letter was very explicit and it spelt out exactly the way to go.

“The first thing is that the NBBF as a federation must try to solve their own problems internally.

“But where it becomes absolutely impossible, the NOC then has to come in to ensure that the matter is resolved either by way of maybe another election or by resolving the matter amicably between both parties.

“This is of course where we are now. The NOC has made enough efforts and meetings were called twice but one of the parties did not attend.

“Of course it was not reasonable for us to have gone ahead and taken a decision without having both parties together.

“That’s why we decided to fix another meeting for Nov. 16,” he said.

The NOC secretary-general assured basketball stakeholders and other Nigerians that normalcy would return to the sport before the Nov. 30 deadline.

“I am positive that both parties will exploit all avenues for peace and reconciliation.’’

He therefore urged all parties involved to make sure they were in attendance at the meeting in Abuja, adding that no excuses would be entertained this time around.

“I will like to believe that the non-attendance of one of the parties involved was a kind of `force majeure’. Maybe something happened and they could not make it.

“However, this time around, we will not entertain excuses from any of the parties for not being there for one reason or the other.

“They must all be there and if any decision is taken in the absence of any of the parties, it will be unfortunate,” the NOC official said.

He noted that the NOC was mindful of the importance of the task given to it by FIBA, adding that it would not fold its arms and allow the world basketball body ban Nigeria.

“Any federation that has a little squabble has the tendency to disrupt the progress of that sport and the NOC will stop at nothing to ensure that there is peace in every federation.

“It’s our job to ensure that every federation gets a fair deal in resolving its crisis, because in as much as we are human beings we must have squabbles once in a while. But I think we will get things done.

“I am so positive,” Popoola said.(NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)