President of Nigerian Referees Association, Tade Azeez, has reacted angrily to a recent allegation raised by a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Federation, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, that club administrators and coaches in the country, bribed referees to win domestic league matches, saying that they are part of the people killing the development
of the game.
Azeez, therefore, challenged the former scribe of the NFF to produce proofs of his grievous
allegation. Ojo-Oba had alleged that football administrators and club managers influence matches in their favour, with cash in the win-atall-cost syndrome. “All of us are problems of Nigerian football. Teams want to win, the managers know that if they don’t win, they are gone, the coach knows that if he doesn’t do well, he is gone too. So, club managers and coaches conspire against the players,” Ojo-Oba was quoted in a pre-season seminar.
He added, “That is why most clubs can’t pay the wages of their players, but they have money to service the referees. Some of the club managers and coaches also conspire with referees.
“It’s happening in all the clubs. I’m from Ibadan, but I don’t watch games there, because they say I don’t allow them to carry out their plans.
“They wanted Wikki Tourists FC to win the league. And they said Enugu Rangers will not
win at Nasarawa United. Rangers scored a goal, and it was disallowed. The assistant referee was running to the centre line but the centre referee ordered him back.”
The former Commissioner for Sports in Oyo State also claimed that some even influenced the choice of referees in their favour, adding, “Some clubs have lists of referees, which they send to the FA not to be used for their games.
“So, what is happening now in Nigerian football is cash and carry. And it is due to the level of poverty among referees, because most of them don’t have any other means of livelihood.”
But the NRA boss, in his reaction, said he was surprised that Ojo-Oba could go to public to expose referees and football administrators, saying that the former scribe of the NFF is entitled to his opinion. He said, “Well I have nothing to say on this issue, because Ojo-Oba
was a referee. So if he is accusing referees, that means is also judging himself.
“He can say whatever he likes, because he is talking from experience, but I will implore him to please come out with proofs of that allegation. “If he is ready to help Nigerian
football, he should name those involved. He should not cover-up anybody. A corrupt
administrator, will remain corrupt. Nothing will change that.”
Ojo-Oba in his submission had praised the centre referee, who officiated the last Federation Cup final between FC IfeanyiUbah and Nasarawa United FC in Lagos, saying that he did a good job. He however added that some people were, however, angry because they felt he was against the programmed result, adding, “Where is our football going?”
Ojo-Oba’s bombshell had sent jitters down the spines of football pundits, who have been following the ugly incident in the Glass House, as they called for proper investigation into the allegation.
A Lagos-based football administrator, who pleaded anonymity told The Point, “There is no smoke without fire. Definitely, Ojo-Oba may be saying the truth, because he is a major stakeholder and he has been in football administration for a long time and so, he knows what he is doing.”
