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By Vitus Michael

Some Basketball players under the umbrella of Concerned Progressive Ballers, CPB, have vowed to hit the streets of Abuja next week, following the clandestine move by Sports Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare to impose Engr Musa Kida on them as Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF President.

Arising from a meeting held in Abuja on Friday, the players said that plans by the Sports Minister to force a “rejected candidate” on them was unfair and immoral. They cited past experiences witnessed under Engr. Kida which they claimed had put the country in bad light.

Spokesman for the group, A.U Abdul stated that the group have rejected Engr. Kida as NBBF boss.

“It is unfair and immoral for the Sports Minister to force an unpopular candidate on us as NBBF President, this is one man who has put Nigeria in bad light. During his reign, he brought shame and disgrace to Nigeria. He killed our leagues and also failed to pay players. Engr Kida always claim to be using his personal money to develop basketball, and we say it is not by force. We don’t want you and your money; both foreign and domestic players have vowed to revolt against him if the Sports Minister is forcing him on us,” Abdul stated.

They advised the sports minister, Sunday Dare to be more concern about re-engineering sports which under his watch, the sector has nosedived, citing failure to pick the FIFA World cup ticket as a good example. Moreso, that the rumoured nexus between himself and Engr Kida is the AFA Sports deal which is being investigated by anti graft agencies.They stressed that the Minister should remember that posterity remains the best judge, and not his villa contact.

“We had thought that the appointment of Mr. Sunday Dare was a blessing to the sports sector,but unfortunately,the so called blessing has been cursed by his crave for financial gains and publicity stunts that have now destroyed the very backbone of our sports.It is on record that he presided over the worse and most shameful Olympic outing.

Sports under the present Minister is nothing to write home about and the Nigeria’s failure to pick the FIFA World cup ticket is a testament to the fact that sports have nosedived under his watch. The rumoured AFA deal is the connecting rod between the minister and Engr Kida as we are aware that the case is being investigated by the anti graft agencies. The minister should be made to know that posterity remains the best judge and not his contact at the villa shielding his administrative malfeasance,” the players said

The Nigeria Basketball Federation NBBF has been engulfed in leadership crisis following the maladministration that marred the past board of the federation, headed by Engr Musa Kida.

NBBF currently have two factional presidents – Engr Musa Kida leading one while Mark Igoche is heading the other with both men claiming to be in charge of basketball in the country.

Unfortunately, the minister 9f youth and sports have remained mute since the two presidents were elected in two separate congresses held in Abuja and Benin, Edo State on January 30, 2022