Sports Ministry Reacts To Alledged Diversion of Basketball Players’ funds

The ministry of youth and sports development has denied diverting funds meant for the payment of the country’s male and female basketball teams’ allowances.

Members of D’Tigress had In a viral video, lamented that they are being owed allowances and bonuses by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), and threatened  to boycott call-ups to represent the country for the 2022 World Cup qualification series if all outstanding allowances are not paid.

But, reacting in a statement issued by Ismaila Abubakar, the permanent secretary of the ministry, it said that the monies are “intact in the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) official domiciliary account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

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The statement read: “The $230,000 donated to the Basketball teams by the Banks under the Adopt-a-Team programme of the Ministry is intact in the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) official domiciliary account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),”

“That only the 12 female Team members of D’Tigress have supplied their foreign account numbers. The Ministry waited for the account numbers of the Male Team to be supplied so that the processing of payments can be one-off as requested by the CBN.

“The Ministry has requested the CBN to commence the processing of the payment to the Female Basketball Players immediately. The Male will be paid as soon as their account details are supplied.

“Ministry wishes to state further that all outstanding -Olympics and Paralympics Games allowances and bonuses are being processed and only slowed down by funds availability. Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance has been fully furnished with details of the outstanding allowances and payments due to the NBBF, and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and efforts are being made to secure the release.”