By Joe Apu
Nigeria has returned to international basketball competitions and this followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the immediate return.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ismaila Abubakar, at a press briefing in Abuja, the decision came on the heels of a letter of appeal dated June 17, 2022, which was signed by Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation and addressed to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.
Abubakar said: “The letter appealed to the Minister to use his good offices to approach President Buhari for the reversal of the 2-year withdrawal of Nigeria from international basketball competitions.
“The Appeal letter also critically gave some key undertakings: to immediately set in motion the process of status review or constitutional amendments from stakeholders as collated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, to set up a high-powered team to reconcile all contending parties in the basketball family at home and abroad, and a commitment to work with the Ministry in the governance and development of basketball among other things.
Furthermore, Abubakar said despite the approval, the stakeholders were warned to ensure that the country’s law are not subjugated to any other law.
“Failure to do this, as with any constitutionally bound sovereign nation, will attract sanctions. There was first a country before any organization or federation that bears the Nigerian name, colours and flag representing Nigeria.
“Secondly, that all those that lead government organizations and in this case our federations, hold such positions in trust for the Government and people of Nigeria under the direct supervision of the Minister of Youth and Sports,” he said.
However, the announcement comes too late for the women’s national team to be reinstated into this year’s Women’s World Cup.
Earlier this month Fiba took the decision to replace Nigeria with Mali at the tournament, which will be held in Australia in September and October.