Basketball: Group urges EFCC to probe $2.2m Kwese sponsorship deal

Speaking on the backdrop of Musa Kida’s revelations at the House Committee on Sports, Friends of Nigeria Sports (FNS), a group of journalists, stakeholders and sports enthusiasts, the group expressed its delight over the response of Kida to the questions bothering on the state of affairs of NBBF.

“Eng. Musa kida has been bankrolling both the men and women basketball teams from his pocket for the last 4 Years and was not willing to say it until the House Committee invited him as they were sold lies.

” On several occasions,Nigeria would have been embarrased in the last 4 years, if not Eng.Musa kida,who brought out his own personal money to sponsor the teams to international competitions and winning trophies for Nigeria.

According to the group’s spokesman, Asiwaju Akeem  Busari, Nigerian Government and the Ministry of Sports has not been paying money or funding the activities of NBBF, for over 4 years.

” This is what is called national sacrifice and love for the development of basketball in Nigeria. Yet Some charlatans calling themselves basketball schedule, who did not and have not contributed one kobo to the growth of the game in the country.

“Yet, they have the guts to say the team has not been paid. Nigeria government and Ministry of Sports should pay Eng. Kida and the Nigerian Teams.

“Eng. Kida has not even been refunded half of his own money  and yet the Ministry of Sports bought the lies from the Tijjani Umar’s disgruntled group who are looking for life presidency of basketball. And it cannot happen,” he stated.

“FNS, demanded that Nigerians should ask the Ministry of Sports and House Committee on Sports to ask Tijjani Umar to account for the $2.2m they received for the Kwese league.

” Let them ask for the money, so that Eng. Kida and the teams can be refunded their own money.The kida led board did not even ask them to account for that money in the last 4 years.

“A word is enough for the wise. We are now calling for EFCC to look into this issue and make those found guilty pay for their crimes against Nigeria basketball,” the group added.