Pay N100m Donations Into Our Accounts, Nigeria’s Basketball Team Tells FG

Nigerian Basketball Teams, D’Tigers and D’Tigress have asked the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development to pay their share of the $100,000 donated by three Deposit Money Banks into their respective official accounts.

On Wednesday, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank contributed $200,000 to adopt the male and female team on their way to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.

“We want to thank Zenith/GTB/Access bank for their tremendous support on the journey,” the team said.

The funds provided by the lenders is linked to the adoption initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sport Development.

The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Goidwin Emefiele, was in the forefront of the initiative, said the sports ministry.

The ministry said the initiative “yielded more fruits on Wednesday as three commercial banks donated $200,000, about N100 million to jointly adopt the National Men’s Basketball Team, D’Tigers and the female team, D’Tigress.”

The ministry said D’Tigress will receive $100,000, while D’Tigers will receive $100,000.

“D’Tigers got $100,000 while D’Tigress also got $100,000 as support to prosecute their participation at the Tokyo Olympics,” said the sports ministry.

But in a post on both Twitter and Instagram, Nigeria’s female basket team demanded that the proceeds should be paid into their respective official accounts.

It said the payment has to be made before it goes into what the team called a “Black hole.”

D’Tigers said the “Ministry should please distribute and pay into the players/officials account directly, like in 2017 when H.E President Buhari gave D’Tigress N1m & N500k, respectively before it goes into a Black hole.

“Money should not be paid into any Care-taker or Federation account. Players, Officials Allowances, and other services are still owed since the 2018 World Cup- ($73,118 plus).

“FYI (For Your Information) this is not a substitute for those debts. These Players & Officials need to be Celebrated and honoured with houses, monetary gifts and 6 Strategic Arenas built in their honour across Nigeria. Senegal has set the Bar extremely high as a small nation compared to Nigeria.

“The Presidency, our Billionaires Mrs. Alakija (Matron), Alhaji Dangote (Patron), Minister of Finance Mrs. Ahmed (Matron).

“We’ll be honoured if you answer the call to take the Team under your wings beyond Tokyo Olympics 2021 so we can leave a legacy for the next generation together.”