The Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation made this declaration yesterday in Abuja while reacting to allegations that by paying referees a paltry N17,000, his board is indirectly encouraging referees to take bribes from clubs.
Inyama said it is desperate club managers that usually induce referees with bribes in a bid to get results to justify the huge amounts of money they normally collect from government in the name of gaining promotion to the premier division.
His words: “Very wrong. It is wrong for anybody to hold such opinion. This is not the first time we are paying N17,000 and this nonsense was not happening. Who are those bribing the referees? Is it Emeka Inyama? Why is the kettle calling this one black?
“I went on air last month and said the problem of our league is the referees. Linus Mba wrote me a letter saying I shouldn’t have said so. So I am not supporting it. A corrupt person is a corrupt person. What of those people who are billionaires and are still stealing money? Is it because they are getting so little?
“Moreover, we have encouraged neighbourhood officiating. No referee goes from Ilorin to Maiduguri. We do neighbourhood officiating. AKwa Ibom referees handle matches in Umuahia and its close by. They don’t pay for accommodation and feeding. This is just an allowance. And they are encouraged to have their jobs. It is a hobby. Corruption does not have to do with the amount or quantity. It is something that is in you. So such position is not correct”.
Inyama reiterated that it will be difficult to eradicate corruption in the system as long as clubs continue to bribe referees in order to get favourable results.
“Clubs give bribes because they want to win by all means so as to justify the huge money coming into the club from government and this is part of the reasons corruption has continued to thrive in this sector”, he stated.
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