Admirers of Naija made league write to commend the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, the Leagues Management Company, LMC and the lions minds of some members of Nigeria Referee Association, NRA for their bravery efforts at sticking to the laws of the game building a lasting image for Nigeria Leagues.
The results of Match Day 10 of Nigeria Professional Football League were encouraging as 12 matches were played and two away wins were recorded, one draw on the road and nine home wins. This is really encouraging! Bravo!
We are however received with shock, the pedestrian and infinitely distasteful comments made by the Edo State Deputy Governor, *Honourable Philip Shuaib* threatening to withdraw Bendel Insurance from the league if Nigeria referees failed to make things happen for Benin Arsenal in subsequent matches and by extension if LMC did not accede to their demand to review their previous matches.
Here’s the part of his post match comments by Edo State Deputy Governor:
“If LMC do not go into probing Kwara United, Sunshine and today’s match, we will discontinue with the league. We will write to LMC and until they reply us, we will not play our next matches. Three matches in a row, we cannot continue like this,” the visibly irked deputy governor said
The league followers were visibily worried to receive this kind of inciting and blood letting comment from a supposed leader, a political office holder (who should guide his people aright) against the league organizers and reactions hereunder:
YEYE dey smell abeg…..
When Remo’s goal was cancelled that led to banishment to Oshogbo, the Edo State Govt did not threaten to pull out.
When things favoured them in NNL and they gained promotion to NPFL, they did not threaten to pull out.
Abeg, they are now in NPFL, they should experience NPFL standard……. I love Nigeria my country.” #NPFLIsWorking
*Fresh Ideology*
This is goal !!! To my own opinion!! Why was it disallowed???
*Oyah FC GM* (Mr Osman)
“This video is not conclusive. You cannot judge this accurately from this camera angle…you need to see this action from every angle to be absolutely sure it’s a good goal”
*NFF bigwig*
“Without prejudice, I noticed that while the ball was airborne, an Insurance player rushed to the Rivers Utd keeper that was targeting the ball with his eyes focused on the ball and gave the keeper a slight body push as he went for the ball thereby dislodging the keeper hence cancellation of the goal by the firm and fair referee! Not a goal!!!”
*NNL Bigwig*
“It’s not a goal, there is infringement against an Insurance player who pushed the goakepper”
*A photo Journalist*
“Please this is soccer not rugby I beg una. A good call from the match official”
*Nedum*
☝
“I hope oga His Excellency knows the implications of saying they will not play three consecutive matches until their case is treated…..”
*Barrister Kelechi Nweke*
“With every sense of fairness and responsibility to the cause of the game,the statement from the Deputy Governor of the state is not only inciting but also criminal enough to the development of the game of football in Nigeria and I think he must be sanctioned accordingly”
*Sunday Agunbiade*
“If NFF, LMC and NRA failed to sanction this Deputy Governor on the blood letting statement on the officials of the game, then, we won’t be surprised if Insurance win all their home games (just like they did in NNL and we cried out) or we are ready to lose the lives of our firmed and innocent officials in Benin, Edo State”
*Abubakar Ballami*
“Another implication of this distasteful comment is that if another Deputy Governor wakes up tomorrow to say this, nobody would raise an eye brow and Nigeria Leagues would turn to a war front for the stakeholders to bear”
*Chidinma Joy Igbokwe*
League Followers are not unaware of the deadly impact of this unguarded comments and particularly our match officials who might want to compromise and do the bidding of these desperate politicians to satisfy their Governor. We therefore call the attention of the league organizers to investigate the allegations and sanction this politician according to the law of the game. Also, we advise the LMC to suspend NPFL actions in Benin City pending the time of the verdict
Hinged on the above, we deduced that the members of Nigeria Referee Association are in immense danger and vulnerable and we advise them to stop sending match officials to Benin to avoid loss of lives of innocent members or be ready to witness undue compromise in the course of the game
League Followers are saying there must be sanity and sanctity in our leagues
Thank you.
Signed:
*Sunday Agunbiade*
*For the League Followers*
