RE: NBBF’s Shameful Negligence Robs Nigeria of Hosting FIBA Zone 3 Women’s ’s Championship*
*A REJOINDER TO THE STORY AND A CALL FOR A RETRACTION OR LEGAL ACTION WILL COMMENCE FOR BRINGING THE NBBF INTO DISREPUTE*
“The attention of the Nigeria Basketball Federation has been drawn to a publication by Maxwell Kumoye, with a damaging headline, without telling basketball stakeholders and lovers of the game the truth of what actually transpired between the owner of Dolphins and the NBBF secretariat, headed by a very competent Secretary General.
“Mr Kumoye, as usual has gone on a false and fake narrative just to disparage the current Board of the NBBF, in his very usual manner. The NBBF, has had enough of these baseless and misleading statements of his and has found it very necessary to respond to the allegations made, that it truncated the efforts of Dolphins Basketball team of Lagos, to host the FIBA Zone 3 Women’s Championship, describing it as false allegation and emotional blackmail aimed at tarnishing the image of the leadership of the NBBF.
“The NBBF Secretary General received had reached out to Dolphins to enquire about their level of preparation as the representatives of Nigeria, having won the 2025 Premier League, so that the Federation can put its weight behind them team.
“Then the Secretariat received an email from Olumide Oyedeji, requesting for Dolphins to host the FIBA Zone 3 Women’s Championship. He did not even ask for Nigeria(NBBF), as a federation, to ask for the hosting right of the championship, and this is absurd, in the first place, and not practicable, as clubs don’t host FIBA championships of that nature. Probably, Mr Oyedeji, does not understand how championships hosting rights, are given.
“However, Mr Oyedeji, was asked by the Secretariat to explain to the Board in what capacity he was asking for the right to host such Championship, as a lot of details and requirements are needed to be in place for such championships right to be granted, as asking for such hosting right, on behalf of Dolphins, can not be regarded as serious because he is not registered as the owner of Dolphins Basketball team.
“Even at that, the Secretary General still went ahead to give Mr Oyedeji, who is also a serving member of the current Board of the NBBF, the opportunity to provide further clarification and proof of his ability and capacity to host such high profile championship, and even provided him with the list of basic requirements for hosting such high profile championship.
“Mr Olumide Ayodeji did not bother to respond to the enquiries by the Secretariat, in order to brief and advice the Board of the requests and to request for approval to bid for the hosting right, as this will amount to committing the NBBF in the hosting right process.
“Instead, Mr Oyedeji and Mr Kumoye, went on social media blitz, alleging and describing such laid out requirements and facts as ‘too’ stringent.
“And just before the NBBF could send its response to Mr Oyedeji, he went public to announce that he had withdrawn from hosting the championship, but is oblivious to the fact that individual clubs don’t host FIBA sanctioned tournaments, but their affiliates with necessary guarantees.
“If he was hosting clubs in west Africa to friendly matches, in his club’s facilities, the NBBF, cannot stop him or any club, for that matter, from doing so, as the NBBF, will not bear any responsibility or any liability for anything that may happen during the period of the friendly matches.
“The NBBF wants to reassure its stakeholders and the public that it remains committed to its core mandate, which is the promotion and development of the game in Nigeria, and this is evident in the high quality FIBA events, it has hosted over the years, as a Federation and the various league matches, that it has held in a yearly basis, despite the toxic environment that such publications have caused over the last seven years.
“Therefore, the NBBF is advising Maxwell Kumoye, to retract this his false and misleading social media statements, within two weeks, or face legal action for bringing the NBBF into disrepute. Observing that this is not the first time that Mr Kumoye has come out with misleading and damaging statements on the NBBF .
“The NBBF will always welcome constructive criticism but will no longer tolerate malicious and misleading comments on the NBBF or its leadership.
*Akeem Busari*
*NBBF Media*
