Oyedeji leads basketball clean-up call
By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye
As basketball stakeholders await clear direction from FIBA on fresh elections into the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board, a parallel battle and cleanup exercise is already underway, the fight to keep the game’s soul intact.
At the heart of that effort is former NBA star and ex-D’Tigers captain Olumide Oyedeji, who has stepped firmly into the role of statesman, lending his voice, credibility and global experience to a process aimed at restoring sanity and unity to Nigerian basketball.
The latest move came from Doma, Nasarawa State, where the Andoma of Doma, Dr. Ahmadu Aliyu Oga Onawo, convened a crucial stakeholders’ meeting at his palace.
The meeting was held on the sideline of the 5th edition of the Andoma Peace and Unity Basketball Tournament in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The gathering, attended both physically and virtually, brought together key actors in Nigerian basketball to chart a path forward amid the controversy surrounding the alleged tenure elongation of the current NBBF board.
For Oyedeji, who is now the Scribe of the World Olympians Association (WOA), the moment demands responsibility, not mudslinging.
The former NBA big man urged stakeholders to rise above personal battles, warning against character assassination and destructive campaigns that could further damage the sport.
His message was simple but firm, Nigerian basketball must come before egos.
The royal father echoed that sentiment, calling on stakeholders to sheath their swords and collectively protect the federation.
“The institution has not been safeguarded. This we must done,” the Andoma said. “Our divergent views must not be our undoing. With wisdom and unity, the prosperity we seek will come.”
Basketball promoter Igoche Mark praised the monarch’s intervention, describing it as a timely peace move in a divided system. He challenged stakeholders to let go of past grievances for the sake of the game.
“We are one big family united by basketball,” Mark said. “The only way forward is togetherness. We must forget the past and forgive one another.”
But it was Oyedeji’s presence that gave the meeting extra weight, a former court general now playing referee off the court. With his pedigree as an NBA alumnus, Olympian and respected global basketball voice, Oyedeji represents a bridge between Nigeria’s troubled present and the standards of governance seen on the world stage.
As FIBA’s decision looms, one thing is certain, while elections may reset the boardroom, voices like Olumide Oyedeji’s are working to reset the conscience of Nigerian basketball and that clean-up, many believe, cannot wait.
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