Uncategorized
THAT KWESE BASKETBALL SPONSORSHIP DEAL EMBEZZLEMENT STORY IS FAKE NEWS
Members of the Nigeria Basketball Accountability Group have described as blatant falsehood and fake news, the recent report alleging the embezzlement of $2.2million of Kwese Sponsorship money by the former NBBF President and now Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar.
The group in a release, said the allegation in some section of the media was the machination and handiwork of scammers in Nigeria Basketball Federation determined to foist an obnoxious constitution and buy over voters in a fraudulent election they attempted to organize in Benin City, Edo State, on October 30, 2021.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation under the former president transparently managed sponsorship deals with DStv (2010-2016), Zenith Bank (2009-2016) and Kwese (2016-2017). His tenure recorded the first victory of any African team or any non-American or non-European team and laid the solid foundation for the elevation of the game of basketball in Nigeria both locally and internationally when the Nigerian Men’s team qualified for the London 2012 Olympics through the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).
This was followed by the first ever victory at the Men’s African Championship (Afrobasket) in Tunisia in 2015 which also qualified Nigeria to its second Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The pertinent question to ask here is: why was there no report of wrong doing of any kind either in respect of public or sponsors funds during his entire tenure from 2009-2017 until now in 2021, when a well planned and dubious election was stopped?.
Why has neither DSTV, Zenith, Kwese nor the Ministry of Youth and Sports management reported any wrong doing to any competent court or investigative agency empowered to investigate and unravel such matters during that entire period?.
The simple answer is that there was no wrong-doing in NBBF management of any kind in the period between 2009 – 2017. This is in contrast to the scandalous management of teams and funds between 2017 and the Tokyo Olympic games in 2021.
The paid writers using the visibility of the former president’s present office to spread falsehood and attempt to tarnish his reputation and integrity in the hope of settling old scores is both cheap and despicable and has consequences. While he is known not to respond to such smear campaign, on our part, we will spare no effort to hold the paid writers and their medium accountable for spreading what in all good conscience of every true basketball lover or stakeholder knows to be absolute rubbish.
Our advice is for any aggrieved party to report any perceived wrong doing to EFCC, ICPC or any competent court instead of undertaking cheap blackmail.
Uncategorized
UniAbuja Awards PhD To Former Lawmaker, 3 Others
Cyril Ogar
Former Akwa Ibom State lawmaker Hon. Patrick Nathan Ifon, alongside three others, was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Governance and Leadership on Tuesday at the Abuja Leadership Centre (ALC) at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja.
According to the external examiner, Professor Chika Oguonu from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, the academic achievements were conferred after the candidates successfully fulfilled all requirements, including defending their theses on November 4, 2025, and pending approval of the University’s Senate.
Other recipients of the Doctoral degrees in Public Governance and Leadership include Obichi Godwin Obiajunwa, Ibiam Okechukwu Owora and Mohammed Hadi.
After the event, the Centre’s Director, Professor Philip Dahida, commended the external examiner for her professionalism, knowledge transfer, and commitment to evaluating the candidates’ work.
He charged all graduates to heed the advice of both external and internal examiners, while emphasising the need for them to put what they have learnt into practice in the wider society.
In his remarks, Hon. Patrick Ifon, who hitherto represented Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, lauded the institution for enhancing his capacity and vowed to impact his environment positively with the acquired knowledge.
Speaking on his thesis, which dwelt on the media in Nigeria and issues around agenda setting, the former lawmaker decried the challenges affecting media personnel from delivering on their mandate as watchdogs of the government.
He called on the government to collaborate with the Nigerian media and see them as partners rather than enemies. Adding that the government must invest in training and retraining of media persons to encourage balanced reportage. While urging members of the Nigerian media industry to maintain high ethical standards.
“The media is supposed to be like the gatekeepers in society, and is supposed to be keeping the government on its toes, but if the problems that militate against the media for a long time remain, then certainly it will not be able to function.
“The military must be transparent with the media and vice versa. they must relate in a way that makes them better professionals.
“My advice will be that the government should see the media as partners in progress, and once that is done, then it will be easier for them to deal with the media in a very transparent way and give them information,” Ifon stated.
The Abuja Leadership Centre is a TETFUND Centre of Excellence for Public Governance and Leadership, dedicated to enhancing public governance and leadership in Nigeria and beyond.
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