President Buhari Makes U-Turn, Reverses Ban On Int’l Basketball Competitions

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate return of Nigeria to international basketball competitions.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ismaila Abubakar, who disclosed this yesterday while addressing the newsmen in Abuja, said intervention of concerned stakeholders, former international basketball players and well-meaning Nigerians to seek solutions to the issues triggered the decision.

He said the Musa Kida-led NBBF board has shown commitment toward the resolution of the issues that precipitated the withdrawal of Nigeria from international basketball competitions in the first place through a letter of appeal dated June 17, 2022, and addressed to the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare.

Recall, on May 12, 2022, the government had ordered immediate withdrawal of Nigeria from all international basketball competitions for a period of two years.

The ban was not unconnected with the culmination of a protracted leadership tussle in the NBBF dated back to 2017 when Musa Kida and then-incumbent Tijani Umar emerged as factional leaders in two separate elections.

According to Abubakar, the leadership of NBBF applogised to the President and Minister over the embarrassment the developments around basketball and the conduct of some stakeholders has brought upon Nigeria.

Abubakar said: “The Appeal letter also critically gave some key undertakings: to immediately set in motion the process of status review or constitutional amendments from stakeholders as collated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, to set up a high powered team to reconcile all contending parties in the basket ball family at home and abroad, and a commitment to work with the Ministry in the governance and development of basketball among other things.

“Flowing from the above and upon a review, the Ministry approached and placed these developments before President Muhammadu Buhari being one that is committed to youth development and desirous of ensuring that they are availed of all opportunities in sports and other endeavors considered the appeal and in the overriding spirit of national interest, love for our youth, and in order to avoid sending basket development into a long period of suspension when NBBF have now committed to resolution of the issues which precipitated the withdrawal in the first place has approved the return of Nigeria to international basketball immediately.”

The Permanent Secretary, nonetheless, warned that in securing the approval, caution must be taken to ensure that the laws of Nigeria are not subjugated to any other law, and that every Nigerian entity must respect constituted authority.

“Failure to do this, as with any constitutionally bound sovereign nation, will attract sanctions. There was first a country before any organization or federation that bears the Nigerian name, colours and flag representing Nigeria.

“Secondly, that all those that lead government organizations and in this case our federations, hold such positions in trust for the Government and people of Nigeria under the direct supervision of the Minister of Youth and Sports,” he said.

He added that President Buhari has directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure the speedy implementation of the undertakings by NBBF which formed a major basis of his reversal.