NBBF warns clubs on illegal competitions

Pius Ayinor
The Nigeria Basketball Federation has warned all teams affiliated to it not participate in any unapproved competitions, Extrasportsnigeria.com reports. The warning follows invitation handed to 12 teams in the national league to feature the Final-6 Conference playoffs of the Kwese Premier Basketball League slated to hold between 14th and 19th August by the last board. The new board reacted immediately by asking clubs to disregard any invitation from anybody or group of people parading as the NBBF members.
The NBBF board led by Musa Kida said the warning became necessary after its attention was drawn to a press release by a body purporting to be Nigeria Basketball Federation inviting the top 6 clubs in both Atlantic and Savannah conferences for conference finals in Lagos and Kaduna respectively.
In the published statement Kida said, “While the NBBF resolved to allow the Kwese Premier League to conclude its regular season during which the out gone board was expected to have briefed the NBBF board on the position and status of the competition, this has not been done. It is imperative to put the records straight that there is only one NBBF which is in charge of administration of basketball in Nigeria.”
NBBF board described as “Unbecoming of the out gone board of NBBF to continue to abuse the privileges extended to them for the Kwese Premier League regular season.”
The communiqué sent to the invited clubs and the basketball associations of the 36 states and FCT and signed by the Secretary General of the NBBF, Chimezie Asiegbu, read, “Due to the evident disregard and disrespect being occasioned by the outgone NBBF board with respect to the Kwese league, it has become imperative to withdraw the privilege and put a halt to Kwese Premier League until the outgone board provides adequate brief about the League to the board.”
The former board had sent out letters to the clubs and which were also sent to media houses. When the NBBF gave approval for the regular season to be concluded by the former board, it also allowed the former board to run the playoffs of the women’s league of which the playoffs held soon after the new board was inaugurated by the government.