In order to get a deserved investigation into his none inclusion in
the just-concluded cooper test used in assessing the fitness level of
Nigerian referees and his frequent neglect by the Referees Committee
of the Nigeria Football Federation, FIFA badge referee, Bunmi
Ogunkolade, has taken his case to the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.
Ogunkolade, a referee from Oyo State, said the reasons given by the
Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Suleiman Muazu, for excluding
him on health grounds was nothing but fallacy.
He, however, explained the reason the NFF Referees Committee gave for
his none inclusion in the three day cooper test that was rounded off
at the Training pitch of the Abuja National Stadium on August 30,
2013.
According to Ogunkolade: “I took my case to the Director General of
the National Sports Commission, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye, on
Friday after exhausting all possible means to resolve the prolonged
but unnecessary delay for me to return to duty as a FIFA badge
Nigerian referee.
“The problem started in November 2012 when I attended the CAF Elite
Referees course in Cairo, Egypt and was not allowed to take part in
the physical fitness test because I failed the medical test due to
High Blood Pressure. On my return, I reported the issue to the
Secretary of the (Nigeria Football Federation) Referees Committee, Mr. Banabas Joro, and he wrote a letter to the Chairman, NFF Medical
Committee, Dr. A. Mu’azu, requesting a medical re-examination for me.
Dr. Mu’azu directed me to see consultant cardiologists, which I did.
“I was at the National Hospital Abuja and was certified medically fit
and healthy to engage in various physical activities by two different
consultant cardiologists and they are: Dr. I. Uwaezuoke of the
National Hospital, Abuja and Dr. Tina Anya of the Federal Medical
Center, Abuja. They wrote a covering letter on those two reports. All
these reports have since been sent to CAF through Mr. Linus Mba since
December 2012, but till this moment, I was neither considered for any
match be it local or international.
“The NFF Referee Committee needs to re-absolve me and give me matches
to enable me keep my shape and be able to retain my badge at the end
of the year viz-a-viz my elite referee status in Africa. My thinking
was that the NFF Referee Committee would have considered me based on
the two reports attested to by the two consultant cardiologists here
in Abuja and respect their expert opinion.
“My worry is that if someone was sick in November 2012, is he still
sick as at August 2013? Since I have been certified fit, I was made to remain redundant, unused and gradually tilting towards unceremonious retirement.
I am now counting on the timely intervention of the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye to save my career. I know him to be a very thorough and unbiased sports administrator. I am confident he will help resolve this problem and I will be back to the refereeing profession I so much loved.”
Nigerian FIFA referee sends SOS to Elegbeleye
