By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The embattled members of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) have shifted the fight over their welfare to the country’s football governing body, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), insisting that it implements the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Circular on the headship of the federation’s Referees Appointment Committee.
Prompt News can authoritatively report that aggrieved members of NRA are ready for a showdown with the NFF for the delay in the appointment of a retired FIFA referee as the substantive head or chairman of the NFF Referees Appointment Committee as requested by the world football ruling body.
Documents obtained by Prompt News revealed that NRA members have since written to the NFF to remind it to implement the 2020 FIFA Circular which stipulates that only a FIFA retired referee should be made the Head of Referees Appointment Committee.
Recall that FIFA had in 2021 served a final warning to all Members of Associations (MA) to ensure that whoever would be appointed as Chairman Referees Appointment Committee must be a retired referee, adding that the occupier of such an exalted seat must be a retired FIFA arbiter.
Expectedly, this directive sparked MAs into action as they complied with the football governing body as they started changing Referee Appointment Committee Chairmen to avoid unwarranted litigations from stakeholders and consequently resulting in legal defeat in Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS).
However, some NRA members who pleaded anonymity have expressed surprise that Nigeria is yet to implement this global standard as they claimed that the last NFF Referees Appointment Committee boss was not a retired FIFA referee.
An Open Letter to the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau titled: “Implementation of FIFA Circular,” obtained by Prompt News frowned at the none implementation of the FIFA Circular by the NFF.
The Open Letter to Gusau read in parts: “The situation has further put the credibility of our league in doubt as the occupier of the seat is the Chairman Kano State Football Association, Alhaji Rabiu Inuwa Allan. This Kano State Football Association Boss, Alhaji Inuwa knew nothing about refereeing practices as he was never a former referee nor a retired FIFA badge as directed by the football governing body but yet occupying a seat that was meant for a retired FIFA badge arbiter.
“Countless hooliganisms, shenanigans, and violence that characterized our leagues in recent years were not unconnected with the unwholesome practices of the NFF Referees Appointment Committee. The league lost its repute and LMC was declared illegal due to the flagrant disobedience of global standards”.
“According to a circular received by the leadership of the NFF in the year 2021…., it warned that any Federation that flouts this standard will have its hand burnt which thus means that the NFF and IMC should as a matter of urgency look into this before the commencement of the league.”
Going through 13par.1(e) of the FIFA Statutes”.
Prompt News reports that the Circular in 13par.1(e) of the FIFA Statutes states:
“The Referees Committee shall be composed of a Chairman who must be a retired FIFA Referees, a Deputy Chairman, and the members deemed necessary to discharge its duties. Its members must not be affiliated to any clubs, leagues, or any other football organization.
“The Referees Committee must be an integral part of the Member Association’s structure.
“Under no circumstances may it fall under the supervision or control of other bodies such as the leagues, unions or government.”
The aggrieved NRA members are therefore, of the view that going by the above instructions by FIFA, the new Executive Board of NFF under the able leadership of Alhaji Gusau, should humbly look into this petition and correct the anomaly in order to put the Nigeria league in good stead.
According to them, “a cursory check into the profile of the new Board Members, nobody is qualified to occupy the seat. The NFF boss can only revert to the Congressmen and appoint anyone who is a retired FIFA badge referee and save Nigerian football from impending global rot”.
“Presently, Pielluigi Collina is still involved in football as an unpaid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association (AIA), the Head of Referees for the Football Federation of Ukraine since 2010, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee, and Chairman of the FIFA referees committee. Nigeria must not stand on gunpowder as a stitch in time, saves nine,” NRA says.
