By Jacob Ajom

As the Federation of International Basketball Association deadline for the resolution of the crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation expires today, the Musa Kida-led board of the NBBF has told Nigerians that it has done everything possible to ensure the country averts FIBA sanctions.

The board however, absolved itself of blame should the FIBA hammer fall on the country.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, Vice President of  the Kida-led NBBF, Babs Ogunade said “we, as a board, have bent backwards, severally, to ensure peace returns to Nigeria basketball but the Tijani Umar group has remained obstinate. Several times, Kida has called on Tijani Umar for meetings but he wouldn’t yield.

“They have asked us to embrace peace and we have done that in any way one can think of. We have called several meetings with the Tijjani Umar group, regardless of the drawbacks but Umar has refused to attend.

“Our interest is basketball. The ministry was going to shut down the league but we intervened with an undertaking, advising that the league be allowed  to continue to the end of the regular season. Both the men and women leagues had few matches left. Zenith has been sponsoring the women’s league for 12 years and we had to respect them as long term partners,”Ogunade said.

Continuing, he recalled, “thereafter, we asked teams not to attend the Final 8 but they went. But they were still not punished and were allowed to participate in the African club championships that ended in Lagos last week.”

Reacting, media adviser of the Tijjani Umar-led board, Patrick Omorodion feared Nigeria Basketball could be plunged into further crisis, should the lingering crisis be allowed to continue.

Omordion said the constitution of the NBBF which was used as guidelines for the Kano election was approved by FIBA. “The draft was sent twice to FIBA before it was eventually approved. It contained provisions for the elections of representatives from the zones, FIBA World, FIBA Africa, coaches, referees, match commissioners, women in sports and players representative.”

Omorodion feared that if any other guideline is applied for any fresh elections that could portray Nigeria basketball as government controlled. Said he, “it was Colonel Ahmedu who opened the eyes of the International bodies to the fact that government was interfering heavily in sports federation elections,” Omorodion said. He recalled, “after the 2013 elections, Colonel Ahmedu, rtd, wrote a protest to the Elections Appeals Committee, telling them he was eliminated from contesting. His appeal was thrown out on technical grounds. The NOC also did not uphold his protest until he dragged the case to a regular court. It was later thrown out after FIBA had threatened his bid to become Zone 3 President.

“Fresh elections will be the best option and if they claim they are popular, why are they afraid of fresh elections?” Omorodion asked.

Omorodion, an  Assistant editor with the Vanguard Media ltd, who was on the board as media officer  does not even trust the Nigeria Olympic Committee which, according to him, has been biased in their handling of the crisis. But I foresee more crisis should the NOC insist on government guidelines for fresh elections,” he said.