Sports Ministry Denies Owing, Looting D’Tigress’ Allowances

The Ministry of Sports has denied claims that it is owing players of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, their wages and allowances.

The ministry made the rebuttal on Wednesday in reaction to a trending video on social media, where the players alleged that they are being owed their wages and allowances both by the ministry and the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

According to Ify Ibekwe, one of the team’s senior players, the players, coaches and team officials are being owed $24,000 by the ministry.

But responding, the ministry insisted that it has paid all pre-Olympic Games training camp allowances and Olympic Games allowances to the girls.

It added that all monies donated to the basketball teams are in the NBBF’s accountant.

The statement read: “The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has denied allegations in a section of the media that its officials shared some monies donated to the men and women basketball teams ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“The Ministry clarifies that all monies donated to the basketball teams are intact in the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s(NBBF) official account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

“The Ministry further states that all pre Olympic Games training camp allowances and Olympic Games allowances have been paid up to date and the Adopt- A- Sports donations totally Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars($230,000) are intact in the NBBF’s account.

“The Ministry states that outstanding payments due the teams will be made once the players supply the information required for the transfers to be affected by the Central Bank of Nigeria.”