Justice delayed is justice denied- Iorfa
Before the incident that brought about the ongoing match fixing case against Sunshine, did you at anytime notice any collaboration between the club and referees in the NPL? Certainly. Look at the multiple incidents that took place last year involving only one club, sunshine stars. There was no single pronouncement from the NRA President. About […]
Before the incident that brought about the ongoing match fixing case against Sunshine, did you at anytime notice any collaboration between the club and referees in the NPL?
Certainly. Look at the multiple incidents that took place last year involving only one club, sunshine stars. There was no single pronouncement from the NRA President. About four of his referees almost got killed. In Bauchi, Enugu, Port-Harcourt and Kaduna, yet he never reacted. And this very case of match fixing, when I came out with my allegation against Sunshine, instead of him to come out and make a pronouncement that if what the vice-chairman of Lobi Stars has alleged is true the referees are going to face dire consequences, he was the first to rise to the defence of the referees. Instead he appeared before the disciplinary committee and defended them as if what they did is right. This is somebody who claimed to have been ex-referees. I am shocked that he doesn’t know that referees are part of match fixing.
It is an open secret that the NRA president is working for Sunshine and has gotten referees four states which he is using to ensure that Sunshine emerge champions of the league at the end of the day. Just imagine FCT and Niger State have supplied 16 referees for Sunshine Stars matches. Kaduna state which is Maude’s council alone has supplied 17. At least 13 referees from Abia and Imo have officiated Sunshine Stars matches this season. In all about 46 referees from these four councils have handled Sunshine matches. This is scandalous. Why we have 36 states and there are some states with at least more than 4 FIFA referees. There is no state that does not have a FIFA referee so if 17 referees can come from one state, then something is wrong. Look at what took place last year when one of the referees, Kaki from the FCT was involved in officiating Sunshine stars crucial matches. He started officiating Sunshine matches from week 17, between weeks 17 to 34 he officiated four of their matches out of 21.
But it was reported that the NRA president said referees are not part of any match fixing. How do you react to this?
This is one of the reasons why our league is not growing. Yes, the NRA president boldly testified that match fixing cannot involve referees. That’s shows clearly that part of the problems of the league is coming from the NRA. How can the president of referees in this country say match fixing does not involve referees? I want him to answer these questions. Who appoints the referees? Don’t forget NRA is part of the referees’ appointment committee. Who gives infringements? Who gives questionable penalities? Who awards fake goals? I want the NRA president to know that in any case of match fixing, a referee must be involved.
Are you not worried that your position concerning referees’ involvement in match fixing would have adverse effect on your club?
Look all I am doing is to make sure that we bring back the lost glory of the 80s and 90s. The Nigeria league was well organized because you could go anywhere and win a match and come out without any hostility. I have been the chairman of Lobi Stars for ten years now and I can tell you that I am always having a good team. What I am preaching if taken into consideration will help the league. If you do not have a good team you should be prepared to lose matches. I don’t care about what happens to my team tomorrow. I have been in the league and I know the nitty gritties of the league and no referee can come and intimidate me because I have condemned the mistakes of the NRA president. I am not attacking him but I am just saying things should be done properly so that football fans would come back to our stadia. A lot of people on the street would tell you that they always know the result of matches before they are played. There is no need going to the stadium to watch a match whose result you have known already.
In the past there were reported cases of match fixing but no punitive measures were taken. What makes you think this present case would get the required decisions?
In this very case, there are exhibits and overwhelming evidence that the rules were breached. Definitely something fishy took place. Whether anybody likes it not, a decision must be taken. Whether it takes a year or two, a decision must be made. I accuse Sunshine of travelling with referees who were going to do another team’s home match which is not supposed to be. It surprises me that it is more than a month now and no decision has been taken. It is a case that is of enormous interest to Nigerian football followers. It is a decision that should have been taken quickly. As far as I am concerned, I am not worried because I am not fighting a war against Sunshine stars. I am only fighting for the good of the Nigerian league. If a decision is taken and it is a wrong one, Nigerians would react because they are well informed. Match fixing decisions have been taken all over the world in big European countries like England, Italy, Turkey and France. So Nigeria cannot be an exception. So I am very sure that a decision would be taken and it would change the face of football in this country.
How much confidence do you have in the committee that is handling the case?
Yeah as far as concerned, the chairman of the committee is from South-West where Sunshine comes from but this is a case that there are evidences to prove the allegations. The referees did not deny entering Sunshine Stars official car. The committee is made up of credible Nigerians and is headed by a competent lawyer. I am confident the members know what is at stake. If the right decisions are not taken, the whole world would laugh at us and our football would be in jeopardy. Although I am sure the committee members would not like to be on the wrong side of history, they must not forget that justice delayed is justice denied.