Basketball Ban: North Central Boycotts From All Sports Ministry’s Programs And Tournaments

Following the shocking pronouncement by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on May 12, 2022, to withdraw Nigeria from international basketball events for two years, the North Central Zone Representative on the NBBF board, Adamu Deshi Janlong has joined other zones to renounce and reject participating in all tournaments organised by the FMY&S. 

A press release signed by the Zonal Representative stated thus; “It is important to state that basketball has been the only game that has brought laurels, international recognition and accolades to Nigeria in the last seven years. The male and female teams have shown progressive strides, thus earning us upward movement in global rankings for both teams. 
“Two world cup participation, 2020 Olympics appearance, 2017 Afrobasket Silver medal for the D’Tigers, and three consecutive Afrobasket gold medals for the D’Tigress are but a few monumental achievements to highlight.
“With female world cup scheduled to hold later this year in Australia and the world cup qualifiers going on for the male counterparts (which Nigeria is positive on qualifying), the ban has dealt a hard blow on the achievements so far and has thus, led us many steps backwards.
” In light of the above, the North Central Basketball Forum (comprising of Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara, Niger states and the FCT) with Adamu Deshi Janlong as the North Central Representative and Chairman, has condemned in clear terms the amoral ban by the FMY&SD.
 The Zonal Representative continues; “the ban, incubated and hatched by some negative political gladiators in the basketball circle, is a step in the wrong direction. The surreptitious move to usurp and hijack the constitutional power of the NBBF to handle the nation’s basketball affairs is mischievous and decries the fact that the ministry which is supposed to be law-abiding is used as a tool to sabotage the effort of the NBBF. 
“To this end, the North Central zone dissociates itself from all basketball activities organized by the FMY&SD and its beguiled Interim Management Committee. The IMC is alien to basketball operation in Nigeria since inception and an aberration from the path of true statutes and precedence constitutionally laid down. He urged the minister to retrace his steps and withdraw this infamous directive as it is counterproductive.”
He further urged the states in the North Central to shun the Kangaroo arrangements of the FMY&SD and its puppet IMC. While further yearning for support for the NBBF as the legitimate custodian of basketball activities in Nigeria, he pleads for calm and promises that there will be a physical monumental development of the game in the zone and the nation in general as soon organization programs would be rolled out that will meaningfully engage the players cutting across all levels.