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… As Reps summon embattled Musa Kida
The last is yet to be heard on the showdown between the victorious D’Tigress and the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) as the aggrieved players have rejected any form of part payment of allowances and bonuses owed them.
Some of the D’Tigress spoke yesterday on Arise TV said they insist that the $230,000 (N95m) owed them since 2018 is paid in one tranche while sticking to their threat to boycott the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, if their demands are not met.
“We have made it clear that we will not be collecting partial payment. We are still very much open as a team to receive the Presidential reception at Aso Rock. The allowances owed since 2018 involves others who are not part of the team now. It won’t be fair for us to receive this year’s allowances and leave out 2018, 2019,” Forward Adaora Elonu said.
Also speaking, Guard, Ezinne Kalu is urging the ministry to hold the NBBF former president, Musa Kida accountable.
“We want the ministry to hold Kida accountable to pay us. We are being taken advantage of. We are not getting the support we need from those owing us,” she said.
The team further denied being used as political pawns as stated by President of FIBA Africa zone 3 Col Sam Ahmedu (rtd) who was a member of the NBBF board.
“We can’t control what people will think. But no one is controlling our team. When we protested in the past, no one said we were approached but now the cameras and eyes are on us for coming out, there are now allegations of being approached. Our team has always been together as the money has accumulated so much,” power forward, Atonye Nyingifa said.
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Sports led by its chairman, Hon. Olumide Osoba, has summoned former NBBF president, Engineer Musa Kida to appear before it within two weeks to answer questions concerning the money owed to the senior national basketball teams.
The summon came after the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, yesterday appeared before the committee to shed more light on allowances of the D’Tigress, payments made to the NBBF and the doping allegations against some Team Nigeria athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
