Guess what? It’s not going to be lamentations and crucification of Nigerian Referees, but an attempt to equate the most often perceived bad versions of football arbiters we have seen over time and the reality of the moment.
Of course, an effort to dive into the accounts of Referees’ dispositions in Nigeria will always fall on the negative representation, yet there could be some salient points we are missing in the narrative as we most times conclude our judgement- Referees are bad.
While this may sound quite eccentric, we have experienced, perhaps the worst of officiating in Nigeria football in the two best of it: One, happening to a club that we like and refuse to rebuke it because it’s favourable and also have to rage in the event that it goes the other way.
This, by extension validates the notion that Nigerians would never complain when a system, whether justifiable or not favours them- but always ready to rebel in any situation that runs against their interest, even in a ‘just’ manner.
Between the Nigerian Referees and the Holy Spirit is the societal decadence which pervades all our spheres of life. It’s obvious that our society has slipped out of its normal coast and has since been stretching to yet an unknown direction. The Holy Spirit stands tall and the yet the Referees who are products of the decadence can’t connect it.
A systemic failure: Still, the issue of indemnities of Referees remains a cog in the wheel of their transformation for better. A Referee, who would have to oblige the demands of registrations, fitness and medical test will at the end of the day be subjected to an endless wait in getting his or her indemnity. How do we imagine a person willing to embrace the Holy Spirit in the face of hunger and deprivations.
Again, standing in between the Referees and Holy Spirit is bad leadership. Nigerians Referee have been greatly influenced by the toxic nature of leadership they have. A set of leaders who give unprofessional consideration to ethical issues. Promotion are not done on the basis of merit but from the prism of ethnicity, tribalism and God fatherism.
When a Referee that’s not duly qualified is handed an opportunity, he is ‘morally’ expected to dance to the tune of the beat from the ‘Masters’. More than that, he is even answerable to them in terms of his earnings. He or she might need to make more to settle the Masters and his ‘belly’, yet.
Like many other professions, Refereeing in Nigeria is not immuned from the wilderness and weirdness of the decay in our football ecosystem and its attendant challenges.
For too long in this country, we have seen Referees being harassed and
attacked. Despite the stringent measures that live in the books, an arbiter risk his or her life in dictating the nature of the game according to the Laws of the game.
Ever present is intimidation from the fans and threat to life of Referees in match centres and the lack of an enabling environment at its finest scope has come to form a wall of Jericho between the Referees and Holy Spirit.
Referees has also become a ready made tool in the face of demands from football authority in the country to protect the interest of some clubs.
While appointment of officials for a match is influenced by the result desired from the so called leaders, a Referee risk expulsion in the event that he or she fails to carry out the supposed task from the football authority which often requires that the laws of the game are jettisoned.
What about the Referees themselves? The ones who are ever ready to throw the ethics of the job in to the wind and fire biased officiating into any match under the influence of Naira.
As though, these may appear defensive of the Referees, the many of the outlined factors do not attempt to justify the perceived perversive nature of Nigerian Referees, the exposé has only come to lay bear some of the basic factors defining Refereeing in Nigeria.
While a redemption is not out of sight or impossible, the urge for a better Refereeing has for too long occupied the front banner of discussion and a reversal to the ugly trend seems more urgent than ever.
The already existing gap between Nigerian Referees and their counterparts across the continent will continue to be widened unless the ‘system’ by which they currently operates is changed for good.