The Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Basketball Federation Engr Musa Kida has advised interested candidates vying for elective positions into the Nigeria Basketball Federation Board to make their campaigns issue-based rather than personality attacks.
An astonished Kida expressed shock over the charged atmosphere with personal attacks flying around with the impending NBBF elections which will be in compliance with the approved NBBF statutes.
Going down memory lane, Kida said, “When I was campaigning four years ago, I was telling people what I wanted to do.
“I was campaigning based on the records I had of myself, the achievements of what I thought I did to merit their confidence.
“These days, everybody who wants to be the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation thinks they can get a badge of honour just by attacking me as the NBBF President and nothing else”, Kida observed
Answering questions in Lagos, Engr Kida who presided over the most successful tenure in the history of Nigerian basketball enjoined stakeholders to be vigilant and ask candidates pertinent questions before they make their choices.
“I think the people should open their eyes and let the candidates tell them what they stand for, what they intend to do and in fact where they are coming from.”
Rather than attempt to gain cheap publicity and distort history, they should man up and embark on issue-based campaigns.
“They should stand the scrutiny of what they have done in the past and if they have not done anything in the past, again it is a fair game, they should be frank enough to say look, I have not done anything like this, I have not been part of anything like this, but this is what I want to do.
“Appeal to the conscience of our stakeholders instead of trying to drag my name in the mud because that is what can be spectacular about how they can present themselves. Let me carry my own crosses, let them carry theirs”.
He reiterated his commitment to the continued development of Nigerian basketball.
He assured that the result of the NBBF Federation elections will in no way affect his passion and investment in the game.
Kida who started the 3×3 revolution in the West African sub region through the AMK Foundation said, “For me, I am passionate about basketball. I have always done basketball when I was not president and I will continue to do that when I am not president and I don’t believe it is only being president that I will do what I need to do in terms of development of basketball”.
For a peaceful basketball space and post-election where everybody can work together, he advised that candidates should shun personal attacks.
“These guys should be able to come with a history badge showing what they have done or at least have a good conscience to tell us what they want to do.
“It is strictly based on that that I will encourage our stakeholders to look, decipher and actually be very incisive about the analysis of what these guys have to offer apart from blaming Musa Kida or in fact spoiling his name”.
