Basketball

2020 Tokyo Olympics : Kida Applauds Sunday Dare For Support

Published

4 years ago

September 8, 2021

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Caretaker Committee Chairman Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida has expressed appreciation to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare for the supportive role he played during the Tokyo Olympics Games.

Engr Kida who spoke in Abuja said the Minister worked assiduously to ensure that the he lapses created on the Nigeria Basketball teams by the International Olympic Committee through the Nigeria Olympic Committee were corrected
“I commend the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Chief Sunday Dare on his role in ensuring that the Basketball teams have a full complement of their officials at the Olympics games in Tokyo “.

The NBBF boss said with the incident that happened at the Olympics, both the IOC and NOC can be accused of tactically sabotaged the efforts of the Nigeria Basketball teams from getting to the podium at the games.

The Chairman further described the wrong instruction given to the Nigeria Basketball Federation by the International Olympic Committee through National Olympic Committee (NOC) before the event as assumed sabotage that became a cog in the wheel of acceleration of Nigeria teams at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.

According to him, “we were always entitled to a full complements of our officials in the Games, but after our preparations, and getting to the Olympic proper, the NOC came with the a directive that we are only entitled to only 3 officials which included only two technical officials.

” I was very sad to understand that they are only going to allow three of our technical officials, instead of the eight or nine which we are already used to. This actually affected the team immensely and cost us the first two games”.

“We became more suspicious when the games began, we discovered that other countries were carrying full complements of their coaches and officials, even countries that do no have as many athletes as we did”.

“From there, the players became demoralized no doubt, as they could not have their coaches that could be giving them the needed technical talks. What NBBF did though, was to make sure that everybody was on ground. That hurt us so badly, no doubt about it.”

“We interrogated the Basketball governing body FIBA who actually claimed ignorance on why such an instructions came from the IOC at the Olympics. It was the same situation for the men and the women teams ” Kida stated

Kida said, “seeing the situation on ground, the Minister rallied round to see that there were increase in the number of our officials for the teams”.

“The Minister really helped us in all out by ensuring that we had an increase in the number of officials, by then, we had lost the first two matches at the Olympics. It was through the efforts of the Minister that the camp was finalized without any issue . This was enough boost for us, we can’t thank the Minister enough”.

“Nigerians should be proud of us, for us to go to the Olympics, there were many basketball nations that could not make it but as for Nigeria, both Men and Women teams participated, I take pride in that and I would like us to build on that, and want Nigerians to Commend the Minister for his support” Kida concluded.

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Basketball

RMAFC Reaffirms Commitment To Boost Revenue Generation From Mining Sector

Published

3 weeks ago

October 16, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

In line with its commitment to bridging the gap in the remittance of revenue generated from the mining sector into the Federation Account, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission organised a sensitization workshop on the new template for data rendition in Enugu for the South East Zone on Thursday 16th October, 2025.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman of the Commission Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu reaffirmed the commitment of RMAFC to bridging the gap in the data remittance of revenue generated from the sector into the Federation Account.

“It has been established that despite the extent of activities going on in the Country’s mining sector, it contributes only a negligible amount to the Federation Account, largely due to the lack of proper and effective monitoring of mining activities. Hence, it is the intention of the RMAFC to work assiduously in order to ensure that all revenues due to the Federation Account from the mining sector are promptly remitted into the Federation’s distribution pool account as at when due.” He said.

The Chairman who was represented by the Federal Commissioner representing the Federal Capital Territory in the Commission, Ambassador Ayuba Jacob Ngbako stated that the new data rendition templates were designed to capture and manage relevant data with regards to specific measurement of quantity of minerals produced, producing companies and their locations, particular licenses, fees and permits paid by mining companies. According to him, if the data is properly managed and utilized, it will go a long way in ensuring that mining operations and revenues therefrom are effectively tracked and accounted for.

Dr. Shehu emphasized the imperativeness of the new data rendition template given the current economic difficulties the country is going through. He added that the perpetual over dependence on hydrocarbon sources of revenue, which is often plagued by the vagaries of the international oil market in addition to other reasons such as the problems of pipeline vandalism and oil theft underscores the determination of the President Bola Tinubu led administration to harness revenue potentials from other sectors of the country’s economy such as the solid minerals, agriculture, manufacturing and the blue economy.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Governor of Enugu State His Excellency Governor Peter Mbah, who was represented at the occasion by the Honourable Commissioner of Energy and Mineral resources of the state, Honourable Franklin Ogbonna described the new template as a significant step towards building a reliable framework for revenue monitoring and proper resource allocation framework. He added that accurate data is the foundation of sound policy formulation and effective revenue management. ” It enables both the Federal and State Governments to assess real production figures, close leakages, and ensure that due revenues are remitted for the benefit of all Nigerians.” He said.

The governor further said that the initiative aligns perfectly with the drive to reposition the solid minerals sector as a key contributor to the internally generated revenue and economic diversification agenda of the state.

In his welcome address, the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State in the Commission, Honourable Ozo Obodougo Obumneme stated that the exercise was primarily aimed at ensuring the existence of a platform for independent data source for the Commission which will be free of summation errors and could be used for comparison as advanced information for attribution purposes.

The Commissioner for Solid Minerals in Ebonyi State, Honourable Onyia Emmanuel, Honourable Commissioner of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in Abia State, Prof Joel Ogbonna, Honourable Commissioner for Local Government in Anambra State, Honourable Tony Nwabuno and the Permanent Secratary Ministry of Industry, Mines and Minerals in Imo State, Mrs Obialor Angela all praised the initiative in their goodwill messages.

The sensitisation exercise scheduled to be held in the six geopolitical zones of the country, which commenced on the 7th of October 2025 in Abuja, was followed by the one organised in Asaba Delta State for the South – South region on the 13th of October, 2025.

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