By Joe Apu

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Former assistant coach of the Nigeria women’s basketball team, Professor Patrick Omo-Osagie has expressed his backing for Engr. Musa Kida as next president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) even before the flag off of the race.
According to the sports professor, the federation leadership problem bothers him so much that it defies logic.
“Tijani Umar in basketball is being hounded. He has done eight years and by all parameters, he has been successful. Two Olympic appearances, AfroBasket 2015 win for men, new league contract, played the mighty USA in a paid friendly, and people want him to go. What in my opinion does he want to prove again?
“He cannot do more than what he has already done. Is there money involved in this thing, I don’t know, but the fight is unnecessary and pretty distracting. I have said that if Kida wants to president, I’m okay with it. He has the clout to be hopefully take us to another level. He speaks French fluently, number two-man at Total Oil.”
The former basketball player to the World University Games faulted Umar’s style of leadership.
In his words: “Umar runs the NBBF as a personal fiefdom. I can attest to it. I was kicked out as an assistant on the national team because he had a financial alliance with someone and I had no business questioning the arrangement. I have said and I will say it again, federations are run like cults. You fight to get in, and once you get in, you stay in or you are hunted.”
He believes that after eight years of unparalleled success it is time for Umar to go, for another person to lead NBBF to greater heights.