The League Management Company (LMC) and the club representatives rose from several hours interactive session, taking far-reaching decisions including approving increase of the indemnity of referees to above N100,000 per match.
Among other decisions taken by the joint body on Wednesday night include the modalities for the sharing the expected sponsorship fund from telecommunication giants, Globacom, and an appeal to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to drastically reduce the number of referees officiating Premier league matches from the uncomfortable number of over 190.
The meeting reviewed the first stanza of the league, rated it as above average and call for a sustainable improvement.
The meeting took brief from the President of the Nigeria Referee Association (NRA), as well as seasoned match commissions on the performance of the officiating and organizing of the league so far.
Reading the communiqué jointly signed by the chairman of the league body, Hon Nduka Irabor, and acting chairman of club owners, Barrister Isaac Danladi, the secretary of club owner, Alloy Chukwuemeka said, “The meeting agreed that for the efficiency in officiating and proper monitoring of matches, the NFF is advised to trim the number of referees in the Premier league.
“The meeting reviewed the mid-season report, unanimously adopted it and accepted that there was an improvement from the past season. We noted with satisfaction the contributions from all the relevant stakeholders on how best to move the league forward.
“The meeting also discussed the proposed sharing formula for the league revenue and sponsorship fund and commended Globacom for supporting the league,” he noted.
Expatiating further on the proposal for the reduction of the referees, he said: “We were told that we have over 190 referees presently officiating the Premier League and we look at from the angle of the damage of insisting that all of them must officiate. We agreed that certain number of referees should be selected based on merit by the officiating recruitment body.
It will not be all-comers affairs.”Representative of LMC, Shehu Diko who threw more light on the sharing formula for the sponsorship fund, said: “The meeting discussed the sharing formula for the league funds and basically dwells on the standard structure of sharing. The percentage is the most important thing not essentially the figures.”
“We discussed the standard structure that will show that all the money coming into the league is shared in accordance with the due process.
“So, from day one, everybody will be very clear of the sharing formula. It is only when the funds are available that we will just share it accordingly.
“We have two sections of how the money will be shared, one of them is the one due to clubs, we have facilities and youth football development. The second is the operational cost of the league which also goes to the clubs.
“The money is spent on behalf of the club to pay indemnities, organisation of meetings. The salaries for the league staff, monitoring of the sponsorship compliance and certain percentage to the federation for disciplinary matters among other things go into the second session,” he noted.
Confirming the new amount for indemnity, the president of the Nigeria Referee Association (NRA), Alhaji Ahmed Maude, said “The good thing is that the LMC has promised that they will pay over a N100, 000 after the meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
“It was a response to what we have been complaining since this season. The good thing is they do not owe a kobo up till now, but there are outstanding amounts like assault charges.”
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