Premier League referees in Nigeria have showed high level of comradeship to the family of one of their late colleague, Femi Okebukola of the Oyo State Council, sports247.ng reports.
Okebukola it would be recalled died in a fatal auto crash on Kano-Zaria road on his way home from Maiduguri after handling a Premier League match in Maiduguri, Borno State, at the beginning of the season.
According to the release made available by the Director of Media, Kelechi Mejuobi said that they were touched by his untimely exit, and referees on the NPFL list agreed under the leadership of FIFA Abel Baba ( Igwe) and FIFA Jelili Ogunmuyiwa, voluntarily agreed to pay a token fee of #2,000 each, as contribution to the immediate family.
On Monday, March 11,2019, the leader of the Premier League Referees, Abel Baba touched down in Lagos enroute Ibadan, Oyo State, where he met with his Oyo State Referees Council counterparts.
Accompanied by the State Secretary of the Oyo State Council, Kola Akinwale, Chairman of Ibadan Society, Dr Odukoya Sesan and Mr Olabode Obisesan, Chairman of Oluyole Society where the late Okebukola was the society secretary until his death, the team arrived the family house where FIFA Abel revealed that the entire Premier League referees came to commiserate with the family and inform them that the entire referees’ family regret the sad incident that took away his life at an unripe age.
Abel Baba, popularly known as Igwe who also had Premier league referees of Oyo state council extraction like FIFA Folusho Ajayi, FIFA Usman Abdulmajeed Ambeco, Dr Alex Ige, Egunbiyi Sulaimon Olarinre, Wale Adeniyi, Ogbonna Emmanuel, Adunola Quadri and Ajadi Odunayo present, said that the token from NPFL referees may not be enough or act as a replacement for the deceased but was voluntarily done to show support to the family left behind.
He implored the family to accept the cash presented in good faith and use the money judiciously to cater for the education of the children and other necessities. Abel Baba ( Igwe ) on behalf of the NPFL Referees promised to maintain regular checks to ascertain progress level of the family.
The first son as the next of kin got the money.
The Oyo State Referees Council and the family appreciated the espirit de corps gestures of the referees by noting that such premature deaths won’t be the portion of members of the NRA and their families again.
It would be recalled that the vehicle conveying the late Okebukola and others who died could not get to Zaria from Kano after it caught fire arising from an incident. The passengers reportedly died in the process and their remains interred at the location.
The company handling the Insurance of NRA members enrolled in the welfare program has concluded arrangements to also visit and settle the family after the initial hiccups encountered with the processes for payment such as death warrant certificate and police reports.
The NRA President, Otunba Tade Azeez on behalf of the leadership of the association saluted the courage of the Premier League referees for their fraternal disposition to assist the Okebukola family adding that he had led a delegation of the NRA National Exco in an earlier condolence visit to the family immediately after the Election at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, where various forms of assistances were extended to the immediate family.
May His Soul Rest in Peace, Ameen
