Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Babs Ogunade, says the dissolution of the Interim Management Committee by the Federal Government is a welcome development, adding that it was an illegal committee in the first place, The PUNCH reports.
Ogunade’s comments come on the heels of the sports ministry’s announcement of the dissolution of the IMC, which was set up to oversee Nigerian basketball, following the sport’s two-year ban from international activities by the FG.
In May, the sports ministry, with the approval of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), withdrew Nigeria from all international basketball competitions for a period of two years, and set up the IMC following the lingering leadership rift in the NBBF.
According to the ministry, decisions taken were part of the government’s efforts to revamp the sport from the grassroots, as well as put an end to the crises that had rocked the NBBF.
However, on Wednesday, the ministry, in a statement dated August 15, 2022 and signed by its Director of Press, Manga Mohammed, said, “With the Federal Government’s rescission from its earlier withdrawal of Nigerian basketball from the international scene and relisting the NBBF, beginning from Nigeria’s participation in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Africa Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda, the continuation of the IMC is no longer necessary.
“The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development hereby announces the dissolution of the Interim Management Committee for Nigeria Basketball with immediate effect.”
Speaking with The PUNCH, Ogunade said the FG’s decision was a move in the right direction.
“The dissolution of the interim committee is a welcome development because it has always been an illegal committee because there was always a substantive board,” he told The PUNCH.
“It is a good one because it shows we are moving forward and it also shows that we are learning every day and wiser. The ministry has taken a decision and it is a welcome development.”
