By Danjuma Zubair
Federation of International Football Association, FIFA had last year served a final warning to all members of the Associations to ensure that whoever would be appointed as Chairman Referees Appointment Committee must be a retired Referee. It did not stop at that, it added that the occupier of such an exalted seat must be a retired FIFA arbiter. Can a nonfootballer be appointed as Footballers Association President?
This directive sparked members Associations into action as they complied with the football governing body changing Referee Appointment Committee Chairman to avoid unwarranted litigations from stakeholders and consequently resulting in legal defeat in CAS
Surprisingly, Nigeria is yet to implement this global standard as they hide this circular from public space to satisfy their pecuniary gains. The situation has further put the credibility of our league in doubt as the occupier of the seat is the Chairman Kano State Football Association, Alhaji Rabiu Inuwa Allan. This Kano State Football Association Boss, Alhaji Inuwa knew nothing about refereeing practices as he was never a former referee nor a retired FIFA badge as directed by the Football governing body but yet occupying a seat that was meant for a retired FIFA badge arbiter. What a shame!
Countless hooliganisms, shenanigans, and violence that characterized our leagues in recent years were not unconnected with the unwholesome practices of the NFF . The league lost its repute and LMC was declared illegal due to the flagrant disobedience of global standards.
According to a circular received by the leadership of the NFF in the year 2021 under Amanju Melvin Pinnick, it warned that any Federation that flouts this standard will have its hand burnt which thus means that the NFF and IMC should as a matter of urgency look into this before the commencement of the league.
Going through 13par.1(e) of the FIFA Statutes:
“The Referees Committee shall be composed of a Chairman who must be a retired FIFA Referees, a deputy chairman, and the members deemed necessary to discharge its duties. Its members must not be affiliated to any clubs, leagues, or any other Football organization.”
“The Referees Committee must be an integral part of the Member Association’s structure.”
“Under no circumstances may it fall under the supervision or control of other bodies such as the leagues, unions or government.”
In view of this, the new board of the NFF under the able leadership of Alhaji Musa Gusau humbly prayed to look into this and correct the anomaly so as to put the Nigeria league in good stead.
Now, a cursory check into the profile of the Board Members, nobody is qualified to occupy the seat. The NFFF Boss can only revert to the congressmen and appoint anyone who is a retired FIFA badge referee and save Nigerian Football from impending global rot
Presently, Pielluigi Collina is still involved in football as an unpaid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association (AIA), the Head of Referees for the Football Federation of Ukraine since 2010, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee, and Chairman of the FIFA referees committee. Nigeria must not stand on gunpowder as a stitch in time, saves nine.
