President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has sent out a stern warning to match commissioners and referees ahead of the new Nigeria Professional Football League season, stating that “it would no longer be business as usual”.
He reiterated the federation’s resolve to immediately eject and sanction officials who fail to meet the high standards newly put in place.
Mr. Gusau made this remark at the inauguration of the referees and match commissioners’ committees at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
“We have been diligent and statute-compliant in the selection of the membership of both the Referees Committee and the Match Commissioners’ Committees, and therefore, we expect them to do their job with the highest level of integrity, passion, commitment and sense of duty,” he said.
“The onus is on the committees as we will keenly monitor the performances of your appointees and be dispassionate in our assessment.
“Anyone found wanting will be thrown out without ceremony, and be visited with further sanctions. The NFF is determined to change the narrative in the league and there is no going back. Please help us to have a new league that all stakeholders will be proud of,” the NFF President added.
Chairman of the Match Commissioners Committee and a board member of the NFF, Alhaji Babagana Kalli, guaranteed that his committee will ride on transparency and integrity while also focusing its attention on its members in order to catch those failing to adapt to the new standards.
Mrs. Faith Irabor, chairman of the Referees Committee, declared that there will be obvious changes in referee dealings with Nigerian football’s plan to implement the highest standards of quality in officiating.
The NPFL begins with a barrage of matches on January 8, 2023, after it was initially expected to start on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
