NFRA Moves To Appreciate Excellent Referees With Awards In Honour of Late Presidents

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An Innovation to encourage excellent performance in the referees family in Nigeria has been instituted if the latest development in the Nigeria Football Referees’ Association, NFRA is anything to go by.

A statement by the Nigeria Football Referees’ Association, NFRA, discloses that in order to encourage good officiating among its members, awards for performing in various categories, meant to honour former presidents of the association who have died have come into place, courtesy of the acting President, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi.

The statement reads;

HONOURING NFRA DEPARTED FORMER PRESIDENTS WITH AWARDS FOR REFEREES

Since the story of the Nigeria Football Referees’ Association, NFRA, can’t be told without mentioning the names of former leaders, especially Presidents, whose policies have brought positive developments and progress in the association.

And considering that nature has seen some of them pass on peacefully to eternal glory, the need to not only continue to remember but also honour them within the referees’ family as our past heroes has becomes inevitable.

In view of the above, the Acting President, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi who represented the association during the recent First Year Remembrance Event of one of the late Presidents, Otunba Tade Azeez in Lagos, in fulfilment of the earlier promise to honour late Presidents of the NFRA, has raised an ad-hoc committee with the task of coming up with procedures for; *Nomination and eventual winners of the maiden edition of Referees Awards in honour of departed presidents of the Association with the maiden edition proposed to hold at the end of the 2025/2026 football season. The Awards shall be in honour of the following*;

(a) Otunba Tade Azeez Best Referee of the Year Award (Male Category for NPFL )

(b) Col JD Yabilsu Best Assistant Referee of the Year Award (Male Category for NPFL)

(d)Chief Reuben Mannock Best Referee of the Year Award for NNL, Northern Conference

(e)Chief Festus Okubule Best Referee of the Year Award for NNL, Southern Conference.

Even as another program will soon be unveiled to honour our living legends including former Presidents; Mazi Linus Mbah, Dr Senibor Sam Sam Jaja and Alhaji Ahmed Maude, apart from using the Awards to recognise the efforts of our Heroes’ Past, who are no more, it will be used to recognise and reward active referees who have lived up to expectations in the course of discharging their duties.

It shall also be used to encourage active referees to strive for refereeing excellence and get honoured as worthy ambassadors of the NFRA “fair and firm” officiating mantra.

And remarkably be used to encourage the art of refereeing skills and finesse in all strata of the domestic leagues.

The committee duties;

1. expected to adopt best practices in choosing the nominees and eventual winners.

2. Liaise with the NFF Referees Committee and the NFF Refereeing Unit for relevant information in the course of discharging their duties.

3. If necessary, consult other established authorities of the Nigerian leagues like the NPFL, NNL and NWFL for inputs regarding nominees and eventual winners.

4. Adopt any other meaningful procedures available for a successful completion of the task and modalities to institute the Awards as an annual event.

Members of the committee are;

(1)Prof Dele Ladipo

Chairman

(2)Rtd FIFA Dr Ago Abubakar

Vice Chairman

(3)Comrd Ogunta Matador

Member

(4)Alhaji Isa Muhammad (NS)

Member

(5)Dr Ralph Inyang

Member

NFF Referees Committee Support Team/Members

(6) C.C.Chukwujekwu

(7)Dr Bello Abubakar

(8) Abraham Zakowi

(9) Rtd FIFA Sani Mohammed

Secretary

While sending warm congratulations to the appointed members for being found worthy for the assignment, the Acting President, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi urges them to approach the task with utmost professional touches for the eventual realization of the program. The committee has five weeks to submit its report.