Igoche Mark, winner of the Nigeria Basketball Federation election held in Abuja on January 31, has praised the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for reversing the self-imposed two-year ban from international basketball activities.
The sports ministry announced the ban on May 12 following a crisis in the NBBF that produced parallel presidents of the federation, with incumbent Musa Ahmadu-Kida also elected in another poll in Benin on January 31.
But the ministry reversed the order last Thursday after the sports minister Sunday Dare and other stakeholders lobbied for it to be rescinded, a top ministry official Ismaila Abubakar told reporters.
The FG’s U-Turn was, however, too little too late, with basketball global governing body, FIBA, already kicking out five-time African champions D’Tigress out of the 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Australia.
FIBA’s decision came after deliberations with the Nigeria Basketball Federation on how the government decision could be rescinded fell through.
D’Tigress, Africa’s most successful women’s basketball team of the past two decades, had qualified for September’s World Cup after defeating France and Mali in Group B of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.
“I must commend Mr. President for lifting the ban on basketball, indeed it is a great joy to all of us. I also thank him for listening to the cries of Nigerians.
However, I feel sad for our D’Tigress, because these ladies laboured and toiled to get the ticket but they have been replaced with Mali, and their efforts seem to have been wasted, while those that have held the game down are celebrating the President’s change of mind. Our ladies must not be the sacrificial lamb always.”
Mark insisted that he had not conceded his position as the duly elected NBBF president Ahmadu-Kida, amid reports that he had backed the latter.
Igoche added, “I am by this statement, making a passionate appeal to all stakeholders of the game, that in accordance to the mandate given to me by genuine stakeholders of basketball on January 31, 2022, that I remain the President of the NBBF.
“There was never a time that the sports ministry asked me to step down for anybody. Besides, it is the responsibility of key basketball stakeholders to elect their NBBF president, as the seat of the NBBF president is neither by appointment nor by selection.
“Those spreading the fake news that I have relinquished my mandate as NBBF president are either enemies of our beautiful game or mischief makers. This fight is not about Igoche Mark, it is for the liberation of basketball, and is a fight that must be won.
“We must stick together to be able to liberate the game from the shackles of doom. We must liberate the game from those who believe that Nigeria needs international competitions to develop our domestic game.”