18 referees have been suspended to officiate matches in the ongoing 2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the NRA confirmed in a statement.
The Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) suspended them for unprofessional conducts in the discharge of their duties.
The association in a statement reiterated its determination to enthrone professionalism and fair officiating in the NPFL while applying global/FIFA officiating rules at all times.
Part of the statement reads, “the NRA while recalling that it has recommended for punishment referees found wanting in the course of discharging their duties as about 18 of them in the Premier League list have so far been relaxed for further appointments pending the final determination of their cases, in the NPFL that is in Week 9, the referees’ body strongly adopts a very serious zero tolerance to corruption and bribe taking in the system and can be proud to state that in the past four years, there has never been an established case of bribe taking raised against Nigeria referees both at home and international levels.
“The NRA wishes to state that it is deeply committed to the growth of Nigeria football as it has charged referees to operate within the confines of the LMC laws and regulations by adhering strictly to accommodation and feeding procedures allowed.
Referees shall neither be cowed nor distracted by certain unorthodox antics employed by the real enemies of Nigerian football to easily have their way in the system.”
