BY JUDE OPARA, ABUJA

Apparently angered by the resurgence of biased officiating in the Nigerian league, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has vowed to deal with any referee found wanting in the discharge of his duties.

Mallam Shehu Dikko & Amaju Pinnick

Pinnick who spoke yesterday in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists regretted that despite the efforts of NFF and the League Management Company of Nigeria (LMC) in improving the standard of the game some referees were sabotaging such effort.

The NFF boss who was particularly unhappy with the way the Gombe United vs Rivers United Match Day 17 was officiated said henceforth there will be no hiding place for bad match officials.

He further revealed that he had informed the president of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Tade Azeez that it will no longer be business as usual. “I have told the NRA president that we must get officiating right in our football. In the match between Gombe Utd and Rivers Utd, a beautiful goal scored by Rivers was disallowed by the referee and if it means applying the Joseph Lamptey treatment, we will do it.

“I will not allow the situation where everyday Shehu and I will go to wait for CEOs for sponsorship and they will be raising questions about the standard of our league just because of some bad referees. Tell the referees that the NFF president is coming, if it means to disguise and watch these matches, I will do it because we must get that sector right.”