Basketball crisis: Group Blasts Mark Igoche

By Lateef Adekola

 In a quick reaction to the interview granted Mark Igoche, proprietor of Mark Mateors by an online publication, a group of journalists, stakeholders and basketball enthusiasts under the aegis of Friends of Nigeria Sports (FNS), the group described the praises he lavished on Tijani Umar, as ‘unpatriotic and uncharitable’.

” We admit that everyone is entitled to his or her opinions, and that we can’t take that away from Igoche. However, the calls for praises of Tijani Umar, is akin to turning truth on its head.

In the words of FNS spokesperson, Asiwaju Akeem Busari, ” Igoche is merely winking in the dark because Nigerians and indeed, the basketball community are wiser and can no longer be sold lies. It is in the public domain that Tijani Umar, collected money from Econet for the Kwese male basketball league.

” There are documents to show TJ Umar’s culpability. Igoche’s attempt at laundering Umar’s image is too vague and feeble to convince Nigerians. The whole world is aware of the Kwese deal and wants Tijani Umar to come out to the public to deny collecting $2.2m dollars on behalf of Nigeria Basketball Federation,” Busari quipped.

He was quick to add that basketball recorded astronomical achievements and growth between 2017- 2021 during Musa Kida’s tenure.

” The scorecards of Kida’s board is very impressive and its achievements are unprecedented in the history of basketball in Nigeria. Without sounding immodest, I tell you, Kida is a blessing to Nigeria.

“Truly, he who comes to equity, must come with clean hands. Therefore, we urge Igoche to show some patriotic zeal by calling TJ Umar to come out and disclose the accounts the kwese funds were lodged into,” Busari advised.