FG appoints basketball Interim Management Committee amidst protests

Despite agitations in some quarters following the decision to withdraw Nigerian basketball from all international competitions for two years, the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development has appointed the members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee the development of basketball in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that after the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered for the withdrawal from international competitions, the decision didn’t go down well with some basketball stakeholders especially the camp of factional NBBF president, Engineer Musa Kida.

Few days later, players of the senior women national team, D’Tigress also issued a statement to pick holes in the decision which they said is detrimental to the future of the players and Nigerian basketball.

However, the ministry on behalf of the Federal Government yesterday announced the names of Dr. Henry Nzekwu, Mr. Udon Ubon Humapwa, Mr. Frank Jitubhoh , Zenith Bank representative, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, Mr. Peter Nelson, Group Captain Rahinatu Garba, Aderemi Adewunmi, Oluchi Nzekwe and Sani Adio (SAN) as members of the IMC.

According to the Sports Ministry, the Committee is to draw up programmes that will revamp basketball from the grassroots in Nigeria, revive its moribund domestic leagues and attract corporate sponsors for the development of the game.