NRA raises alarm over plot to ridicule President

The Nigeria Football Referees Association has exposed plan by suspected blackmailers in the local football circle to ridicule the President of the body, Tade Azeez.

In a statement made available to newsmen by the National Publicity Secretary of the NRA, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi, the attention of the referee’s body has been attracted to a rather insipid expression bordering on the integrity of the president.

The NRA described as cheap blackmail and blatant lie a write up orchestrated by purveyors of faceless persons going on in the social media.

According to the NRA spokesmen, the said report, suspected to be handiwork of enemies of Nigerian football, however, made spurious allegations intended to portray Azeez and indeed Nigerian referees in bad light than thumb up for him and his colleagues for showcasing scintillating performances that have seen balanced officiating that resulted to unprecedented away wins and home draws to premier league clubs since the beginning of the season.

The NRA said the agents of darkness in the domestic league have resorted to malicious tactics to rubbish the success recorded.

Mejuobi said: “Suffice it to note that on getting the mantle of NRA leadership, Tade, a seasoned sports administrator has put all machinery to take Nigerian referees to the next level hence the paradigm shift in the referees sector.

“No amount of mischievous act will distract the NRA from upholding the principle of fair play as match officials will be guided by the Laws of the game in the cause of discharging their function.

“The NRA is aware of these monstrous groups in Nigerian football whose stock in trade is cheap blackmail. Beyond by bountiful gains secured from NFF sponsored trainings and FIFA backed high capacity workshops both at home and abroad, nothing will stop the arbiters from giving the clubs, players and organizers the best.

“Aggrieved interested parties whose teams are at the losing ends and have failed to escape the lurch should not transfer aggression in their efforts to showcase escapist tendencies.”

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