By Amaechi Agbo

The end to the crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF may be far in coming as the embattled former Chairman of the defunct Caretaker Committee of the federation, Musa Kida has “warned” the ministry of youth and sports to retrace its steps in “illegally” taking over the running of basketball affairs in the country, www.bestchoicesports.com.ng can report

Mr Kida who has been at the centre of the crisis rocking the federation also said he would not release any documents or kits in his custody to the taskforce constituted by the sports ministry to oversee the federation unless his outstanding 6 million naira the federation incurred in clearing the 2020 Olympic kits from customs is refunded.

“Sec, I just warn you that your recent actions will potentially eventually cause a huge embarrassment to Nigeria Basketball and the country at large as you have side stepped the NBBF in all your recent undertaking,” Mr Kida said in a letter sent to the sports ministry, a copy of which was obtained by www.bestchoicesports.com.ng

“It will excite you to know that the PEAK sponsorship with the NBBF has been for the provision of uniform on a tournament-by-tournament basis, the last being the carry forward the 2020 Olympics held this year, as the contract itself has expired last year.

“You are also aware of the enoumours challenges with Customs for the last batch of Olympic Uniform this year. It required the serious interventions of the Hon Minister FMYSD with the Federal Ministry of Finance to make it reality.

”The official receipt Customs and clearing charges that the NBBF had to incur in getting the uniforms out of Apapa Wharf was more than N6m, which I fully paid that’s yet to be refunded from the Ministry.

“The remnants are very incomplete pieces of outfit as with other consignments in the past. I would urge you to process my refund efficiently and once that’s done, I can handover the remnants of the kits from Tokyo Olympics.”

Recall that the Ministry of Finance and Sports Ministry intervened before the Peak kits were released by the Nigeria Customs ahead of the D’Tigress and D’Tigers 2020 Olympics participation were they all crashed out at the preliminary round.

The Ministry on November 9 wrote a letter to the NBBF requesting that Musa Kida led NBBF hand over all the kits to the federation’s Secretariat headed by the Secretary General, Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi a directive Mr Kida refused to heed.

“In as much as I believe that you’re illegal and deliberately usurping the power of the NBBF Board by trying to create Task Force to organize and undertake FIBA November qualifier, you can contact PEAK directly to purchase equipment or kits from them for your intended purposes,” Kida said.

It should not be forgotten that that the Ministry of Sports had set up a four-man Task Force Committee to take charge of the NBBF Super 8 League and D’Tigers next assignment later this month.