LIBA’s activities suspended

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has suspended all basketball activities in the country and forwarded the current leadership crisis within the Liberia Basketball Association to the Federation of International Basketball Association, (FIBA)-Africa.

In a communication to the President of the Liberia Basketball Association, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Henry B. Yonton, Jr. instructs the Anderson-led leadership to halt the April election and allow the intervention of FIBA to resolve the current leadership crisis.

Since January, the LBA leadership and aggrieved stakeholders have been in disagreement over the planned election, which has been suspended for four times. 

The ministry has called for the formation of an interim administration, pending resolution of the current crisis with the involvement of the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC).

The ministry’s letters to the LBA and FIBA-Africa are in fulfillment to recent comments by the Minister of Youth and Sports Lenn Eugene Nagbe to take drastic and appropriate actions at the LBA to save basketball in the country.

Minister Nagbe at a recent congress of the Liberia National Olympic Committee expressed disappointed in the basketball leadership and aggrieved party for their roles in the current crisis.

“The Association’s leadership and the aggrieved stakeholders, we want to remind you of several efforts initiated by the Ministry at different levels to provide a level plain field to have accommodated all concerned…”, Deputy Minister Yonton said. 

However, owing to the continuous discontent between the leaders of the LBA and the aggrieved party, regarding its legitimacy, the Ministry has reached a decision to seek the intervention of the Africa basketball governing body – FIBA-Africa with offices in Abidjan and Cairo.

The ministry has told outgoing LBA president Rufus Anderson, to adjourn all processes pertaining to the holding of election and advised further that he (Anderson) stays clear-off all basketball activities until further consultation with FIBA-Africa is concluded. 

Meanwhile, the Secretary General LBA, G. Allen Goodridge, said the Association has resolved to reserve all comments.

It may be recalled that since January 2015, the LBA has postponed its congress and election four times due to internal Wrangling.

By Sally Gaye