The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has vowed to deal seriously with any players, officials and supporters of teams who indulge in physical assault on referees during football matches.
Speaking at the opening session of the 2022 Member Association, MA Course program in Abuja, NFF Scribe, Sanusi Mohammed, said the NFF won’t allow perpetrators of such act go free without adequate sanctions.
Dr Sanusi who represented the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, spoke while declaring the event officially open at the Package B of the FIFA Goal project, National Stadium, Abuja, said the incessant physical assaults on referees recently can no longer be tolerated, and vowed that the football body will deal severely with those involved in such act.
There have been plethora of physical attacks on members of the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA, involved in the various domestic leagues in the country; the NPFL, NNL and NLO.
The attacks reached a crescendo last week following the incidents in Kano and Delta where referees were assaulted.
Quoting the words of Sanusi Mohammed, “NFF is not going to tolerate any act of hooliganism and all those fingered in the beating of referees will be squarely dealt with. We are not going to allow such a situation because the NFF will deal with culprits”
He said that referees are human beings prone to errors and if such occurs during officiating, it shouldn’t give room to unwarranted attacks.
Going further on the essence of good officiating, Dr Sanusi admonished the referees on the importance of inculcating the three Rs of officiating which focuses on ethics and integrity.
According to the NFF scribe, the 3Rs involved are recognising, reporting and resisting unwholesome acts not inconformity with the ethics of officiating.
In his speech earlier, President of the NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez, said the MA course was a vital developmental programme designed by FIFA to upgrade the mental, physical and knowledge of the referees each year.
