The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has said the ministry is more interested in developing young basketball talents than managing crises that have bedevilled the sport.
The minister who made this known yesterday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Interim Management Committee (IMC) for Basketball said sports federations draw their legitimacy from the Federal Government so whatever powers the federations have, they only exercise them on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
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He reiterated that privileges enjoyed by the federations are at the behest of the government as such they must not seek to take advantage of the privileges to denigrate the authority of the federal government before international organizations.
“Sports development in Nigeria does not stop at the doorstep of any sporting federation. NBBF for instance does not have a monopoly on the development of basketball in Nigeria.
“The Ministry of Sports has the statutory responsibility of oversight and will not be blackmailed into relinquishing it.
“Government does not intend in any way to drop its supervisory role or allow Nigeria’s sovereignty to be impugned. The leadership of every sporting federation holds such federation in trust for the Federal Government of Nigeria, in which authority resides and is exercised by the Minister whilst overall authority resides with the Federal Government.
“Nigeria at this crucial period is more interested in developing young basketball talents and the domestic league than managing the crisis and disagreements among administrators.
“For years, the basketball value chain has been truncated such that home-based young players, coaches, referees, physical trainers, and sponsors were left empty,” he said.
Dare, therefore, said the mandate of the IMC is to develop youth and grassroots basketball and organize the domestic league.
He also charged the members to carry out their assignments with the utmost sense of responsibility and avoid getting entangled in federation politics.
Responding, the chairman of the committee, Dr Henry Nzekwu, thanked the Federal Government for the confidence reposed in them.
He said the committee will get to work immediately in order to reposition the game of basketball.
Nzekwu also said his committee will reach out to all the relevant stakeholders in a bid to fashion out a roadmap for basketball development in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the inaugurated IMC has Dr Henry Nzekwu as Chairman, Mr Udon Ubon Humapwa, Mr Frank Jituboh, Zenith Bank Representative, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, Mr Peter Nelson, Grp. Captain Rahinatu Garba, Aderemi Adewunmi, Oluchi Nzekwe, and Seni Adio (SAN) as members.
