IMC inauguration is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to sports development – Dare

Oru Leonard

Minister of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Honourable Sunday Dare has said that the inauguration of Interim Management Committee of the NBBF is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to sports development in all its ramifications. Especially for our A category sport of which Basketball is one.

Dare who stated this during the inauguration of an Interim Management Committee (IMC), on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Indoor Sports Hall, Package ‘B’ Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, noted that the relationship between sporting federations and governments should be constructive and collaborative and not adversarial.

“It should be complementary not antagonistic. Whenever there is a departure it becomes clear that other interests over and above that of the sport and the athletes have crept in.

Federations draw their legitimacy from the Federal Government and a sovereign Nigeria. Whatever powers the federations and their boards 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”, he explained.

Dare said it became of paramount importance for the Ministry to set up the IMC to salvage the ugly situation bedeviling the Basketball federation, adding that “No sports federation is bigger than Nigeria’s sovereignty and federations draw their legitimacy from Nigeria as a sovereign nation. The supervisory powers of the Ministry of Youth and Sports stand. Therefore using the weapon of interference to remove from Government what the laws of Nigeria have given is objectionable and unacceptable, ”

The Minister stated that 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 Govt 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. The role of the
IMC is clearly and carefully set out: develop youth and grassroots
basketball and organize the domestic league. Don’t get entangled in
Federation politics”, he emphasised.

He therefore, charged the IMC to carry out task ahead with the utmost sense of responsibility, while  he urged all the basketball stakeholders to come together to accord the Committee all the assistance and co-operation it needs to achieve because national interest must come first.

Speaking after the inauguration, the chairman of IMC,  Dr. Henry Nzekwu called for cooperation of all stakeholders in the NBBF to   enable the committee deliver on the good intentions of the Federal Government and through the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development headed by Honourable Sunday Dare.

The Terms of Reference of the Committee are to amongst others,
draw up programmes that will revamp basketball from the grassroots,
attract corporate sponsors and revive the moribund domestic leagues for
the development of the game within 2 years, and ensure the development
of Basketball facilities in the entire country, and any other thing that will
facilitate the development of Basketball in Nigeria.

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) members to be inaugurated by government on Saturday, are as follows:

Dr. Henry Nzekwu – Chairman​

Mr. Udon Ubon Humapwa – Member

Mr. Frank Jituboh – Member

Zenith Bank Representative – Member

Prof. Adamu Ahmed – Member

Mr. Peter Nelson – Member

Grp. Captain Rahinatu Garba – Member

Aderemi Adewunmi – Member

Oluchi Nzekwe – Member

Seni Adio (SAN) – Member

The event was preceeded by exhibition match between Government Secondary School, Karu (Ash), that led with  34 points and Total Child Academy, Karu (Red), with 29 points.

the committee is expected to commence a youth basketball league and domestic league to help in nurturing home based players so that we will have a reservoir of players that will represent the country in international events after the period of withdrawal.

This will set the ball rolling, by creating opportunities for our local players to have regular competitions at home thereby elevating their status to getting scholarship to universities all over the world and clubs to play and better their living standard which will also have positive effects on the economy of Nigeria.