Stop Lying To Nigerians On Court Case - Kwese League Director Tells Kida

  Stop Lying To Nigerians On Court Case - Kwese League Director Tells Kida By Niyi Busari Kwese League Director, Ajibarede Bello, has advised the Musa Kida-led Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Board to tell Nigerians the truth about the court case, on how they shortchanged Gombe Bulls in the FIBA Zone 3 Club qualifiers leading to halting of the league and their roles in driving away the league sponsors (KWESE) that worth $12.5m, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Tijani Umar led NBBF had before the Federation's Elections in 2017 secured a five-year sponsorship deal with Kwese worth $12.5m ($2.5m per annum). The world basketball governing body, FIBA, at the time rejected the two factional elections of June 12, 2017 that produced Musa Kida and Tijani Umar as Presidents. Though, in the interim, FIBA maintained to communicate through Kida faction and was mandated to handle the National Team assignments, whereas, the domestic league structure established by Tijani Umar faction ( who as in charge of the League before the 2017 elections) was asked to continue with the league until the issues are resolved. Based on this, Kwese insisted on dealing with Umar-led Board following threats from Kida-led NBBF. A year after completion of the deal, Kwese was frustrated and decided to pull out of the most lucrative sponsorship deal in African Basketball League. Bello stated that the case wouldn't have affected the league had Kida or any of his Board members respected the court by appearing before it since November 8, 2018 when the case started in Abuja. "They should tell Nigeria the truth, they're just bending the issue. Gombe Bulls went to court to get justice after winning the league in 2018 and were denied the right to represent Nigeria in the African Inter-club Championship. The League Board headed by me (Bello Ajibarede) has no option than to support them in this quest. As against FIBA instructions and Court injunction, Kida-led Board in a rush, organized abridged Premier League in November, 2018. The League consisted of four teams (two clubs from each Conference), while the champions who substituted Gombe Bulls at the African inter-club championship played just two games in the League to emerge champions. This remained the only league champions in the world with two matches. "To achieve their poorly orchestrated plan, Kida-led Board organised their separate league consisting of four teams and clubs who played two games were crowned champions and chosen to represent Nigeria in the continent. This was hurriedly carried out after court injection and FIBA instructions and Gombe Bulls retained the title with Kwara Falcons as runners-up. He advised them to go and appear before court to defend the case and stopped blackmailing Olumide Oyedeji for political reasons. "To set the record straight, the plaintiff in the matter are; Chairman, Gombe Basketball Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Sa'ad, (owner of Gombe Bulls Basketball), Chairman, Kwara State Basketball Association, Dr. Adegbite Adeyemo (who later pulled out of the case) and Management Board of Kwese Premier League. These are the applicants to the case and not Olumide Ayodeji they're targeting for political reasons. They should go and defend their case in court if they don't have anything they're hiding. He explained efforts made by the court to hear their own side. "In fact, the court has to seal their office in Abuja for not coming to court despite several summons. Later, we got an order of constituted service that the invitation should be published in the national newspaper, yet, they didn't come to court. So, for someone who has never appeared in court to defend his case, now turned around and claim that the League Board headed by me was responsible for them not to run the league. If they can hold the league in 2018 and 2019 when the case was on, is it in 2021 that they realized that the court is stopping them? "They have circumvented court injunction several times, at a time, they played a league and named it President Cup. They absolutely have no plans for national league and are holding on to the court injunction as excuse. "The problem started when they tried everything (including writing to the sponsor to stop sponsoring the league) to subvert the Kwese League. Kwese responded in a letter that they cannot stop the 5 year sponsorship deal because they had agreement with the Tijani Umar-led Board and not Kida-led board. When the pressure was too much for Kwese, they developed cold feet, packed their loads and left. And that was how Nigeria lost the most lucrative sponsorship in the continent. A sponsorship deal of Two million and five hundred thousand ($2.5m) US Dollars per year. And Kwese signed five year deal with Nigeria Basketball Federation. I hope they have will show up in court on January 26 because they've never appeared to defend their case in court since the case started