The appointment of Rena Wakama as the Head Coach of Nigeria senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress national team has continued to generate a lot of buzz, but sadly, for the wrong reasons.
It is no longer news that a few days back the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), through its Secretary General, circulated the news of her appointment, and this was met with a lot of mixed reactions. This prompted Sports Chronicle Magazine to investigate what has led into all the outcries.
The investigations revealed the major reasons for the seeming cracks in the federation. However this report is based on the revelations gathered, particularly, as it concerns the issue of the appointment of Rena Wakama as the new head of D’Tigress as well as, confirming if the appointment followed due process.
Interestingly, investigations revealed that there is actually no formal laid down procedure on the engagment of National team coaches and as was the cases of all other national team coaches, including the appointments of coaches Sam Vincent, Otis Hughley and now, coach Rena Wakama.
And contrary to the rumours making the rounds, we gathered that Rena Nwakama is a Nigerian and a qualified basketball coach. It was also revealed that the NBBF Constitution empowers the Emergency Committee on the day to day runnings and decisions making for and on behalf of the NBBF. This committe is made up of the President of NBBF, Vice-President of NBBF, who is also, the Chairman of NBBF Technical Committee, as well as, the NBBF Secretary-General, who is a go between the board and the Ministry of Sports.
The investigations further revealed that the recent rumpus within the board of the NBBF, is the handiwork of a certain board member who has spent more than 35 years on and off, as a member of the NBBF, and is bent on forcing his brother on the board of NBBF, as the coach of the women’s national team.
It was equally revealed that he is behind the rash of fake and false publications in the media, as he has recruited some journalists to condemn the appointment of the new female coach, who is qualified and motivated to rebuild the women’s national team, as well as, help him carry out his intentions to undermine the recent feats of the NBBF board.
Past NBBF leadership, we gathered also fingered this individual as a power monger and a cancerous leg in all the boards he has sat on, and the cause of most problems bedeviling basketball in the country. He was credited for fighting the past NBBF Presidents including UK Umar, Buba Gyan, Tijani Umar and now, the incumbent Musa Kida.
