The chairman of Abia State Referees Council, Matador Ogunta, and secretary of the council, Iheanacho Chukwuemeka, have been slammed with indefinite suspension by the chairman of Abia State Football Association, Rev. Obioma Onyeaghala.
The two referees were suspended from all football activities in a letter dated October 5, 2024, and signed by the chairman of Abia State FA, Rev. Obioma Onyeaghala.
The letter alleged: “For refusal to recognise constituted authority (Abia State Football Association Referees Committee) comprising of former referees, in line with FIFA guidelines and disrespect as well as acts of insubordination severally to Football Association leadership, which includes severally the act of changing the appointment of referees duly appointed for matches by the referee’s committee. This suspension is with immediate effect and indefinite.”
Also, a letter signed by Mohammed Ameenu, Special Assistant to the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, dated October 8, 2024, said that the NFF would not tolerate insubordination and disrespect of any of its operating personnel, administrators or stakeholders.
The letter from the Special Assistant to the NFF General Secretary also said that state FAs are key and functional aspects of NFF operations and also represent the federation at their levels of jurisdiction and therefore should not be disrespected. “Therefore, we acknowledged and ratified the suspension of the duo,” the letter stated.
However, the suspended chairman and his secretary have not reacted to their fate but a popular referee in Abia, who spoke on the matter, said the suspended chairman and secretary are innocent of the allegations brought against them.
The referee, who pleaded that his name be kept secret for fear of victimisation, said that most referees in the state are unhappy about the suspension of their leaders.
“The FA chairman wants to have undue control of the referees. We may boycott matches,” he said.
Abia FA slams indefinite suspension on chairman of Referees Association