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Confusion Envelopes Nigerian Football
http://www.africaeagle.com/2014/08/confusion-envelopes-nigerian-football.html
The League Management Company (LMC) has put on hold all fixtures scheduled for Match Day 26 following the withdrawal of services by the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) from all Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) organized matches.
The NRA action has been predicated by the crisis in the Nigerian Football Federation which culminated in the prevention of its key officials from attending the General Congress through the arrest and detention of the President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the General Secretary, Barrister Musa Ahmadu and Chairman of the Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green
A statement from the LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar read ,”the decision is in the light of the notice of withdrawal of services by the Nigerian Referees Association which makes it impossible for us to organize games”.
The NRA notice signed by the Secretary-General, Prince Moroof Oyekunle Oluwa and addressed to the LMC Chairman read in part, “I have been directed by the Working Committee of the above named Association to inform you that, in view of uncertainty in the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria Referees are hereby withdrawing its services with immediate effect from all matches organized by the NFF which includes the Nigeria Premier League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria NationWide League, Nigeria Women League and the Federation Cup pending when sanity is restored”.
The LMC said Clubs in the Glo Premier League and the sponsorship partners have already been advised of the development with clubs directed not to proceed to venues of their respective games until further communication.
Abubakar said “we have written to the General Secretary of the NFF on this development and have also informed the Clubs and our Sponsors”. He said the LMC desires that the crisis be amicably resolved soon to restore an enabling environment for the league to run smoothly.
“We are already running a tight fixture schedule and are hoping that this crisis is resolved soon so the season can be concluded in time for our clubs to prepare for continental registration and participation”, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has urged all stakeholders to discountenance a statement from the League Management Company that matches of the Nigeria Premier League are being suspended.
“It has come to our notice that the League Management Company has been issuing notices to clubs in the Premier League that matches are being suspended from this weekend.
“This is totally untrue. If the LMC received a notice from the Nigeria Referees Association about purported withdrawal of referees, the LMC should have brought this to the notice of the NFF and not to take a decision to suspend the League on its own,” NFF President, Ambassador Chris Giwa, said in Abuja on Thursday.
Giwa expressed his unhappiness with the Nigeria Referees Association for the threat to withdraw referees from the Premier League, and said the NFF would not take the matter lightly.
“As the owners of the League, the Nigeria Football Federation is hereby making it clear that Premier League matches are not being suspended. Matches scheduled for this weekend will definitely take place,” Giwa affirmed.
The NFF has therefore called on all referees appointed for this weekend’s matches to go for their matches.
Source: Vanguard
The NRA action has been predicated by the crisis in the Nigerian Football Federation which culminated in the prevention of its key officials from attending the General Congress through the arrest and detention of the President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the General Secretary, Barrister Musa Ahmadu and Chairman of the Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green
A statement from the LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar read ,”the decision is in the light of the notice of withdrawal of services by the Nigerian Referees Association which makes it impossible for us to organize games”.
The NRA notice signed by the Secretary-General, Prince Moroof Oyekunle Oluwa and addressed to the LMC Chairman read in part, “I have been directed by the Working Committee of the above named Association to inform you that, in view of uncertainty in the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria Referees are hereby withdrawing its services with immediate effect from all matches organized by the NFF which includes the Nigeria Premier League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria NationWide League, Nigeria Women League and the Federation Cup pending when sanity is restored”.
The LMC said Clubs in the Glo Premier League and the sponsorship partners have already been advised of the development with clubs directed not to proceed to venues of their respective games until further communication.
Abubakar said “we have written to the General Secretary of the NFF on this development and have also informed the Clubs and our Sponsors”. He said the LMC desires that the crisis be amicably resolved soon to restore an enabling environment for the league to run smoothly.
“We are already running a tight fixture schedule and are hoping that this crisis is resolved soon so the season can be concluded in time for our clubs to prepare for continental registration and participation”, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has urged all stakeholders to discountenance a statement from the League Management Company that matches of the Nigeria Premier League are being suspended.
“It has come to our notice that the League Management Company has been issuing notices to clubs in the Premier League that matches are being suspended from this weekend.
“This is totally untrue. If the LMC received a notice from the Nigeria Referees Association about purported withdrawal of referees, the LMC should have brought this to the notice of the NFF and not to take a decision to suspend the League on its own,” NFF President, Ambassador Chris Giwa, said in Abuja on Thursday.
Giwa expressed his unhappiness with the Nigeria Referees Association for the threat to withdraw referees from the Premier League, and said the NFF would not take the matter lightly.
“As the owners of the League, the Nigeria Football Federation is hereby making it clear that Premier League matches are not being suspended. Matches scheduled for this weekend will definitely take place,” Giwa affirmed.
The NFF has therefore called on all referees appointed for this weekend’s matches to go for their matches.
Source: Vanguard
