MATCH-FIXING ALLEGATION: DOLPHINS TRIED TO FIX THE GAME TOO -REFEREE OKORO

The alleged referees

*OPENS CAN OF WORMS AT DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE MEETING

ILLEGALITY BUILT ON ILLEGALITIES:

Referee Chrisantus Okoro is one man who I had thought would have proceeded to a court of law to slam libel and defamation of character on his accusers who had made him guilty before the public eye. He like his fellow referee suffered the greatest damage.

Rather, he decided to wait for the jaundiced Ethics and Disciplinary panel of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The chairman of that panel is simply not fit to preside over the matter. So, whatever decision that committee reaches can still be a subject of litigation depending on who is at the receiving end. Mr. Leye Adepoju is the chairman of the committee. He was a dismissed magistrate of the Oyo State judiciary. By that, he can’t sit on a respected panel nor the NFF (remember the NFF itself is illegal and a non-juristic person).

WHO CASTS THE FIRST STONE?:

Now let’s start this way. Which Nigerian clubside does not fix matches? I can swear on oath that all are guilty. Going through the match-fixing allegations leveled against Sunshine Stars of Akure by Dominic Iorfa, the team manager of Lobi Stars of Makurdi, it is important to state that some other evidences must be adduced to prove match-fixing beyond what has been published. This is being legal minded. Existing evidences are not enough to prove match-fixing.

Secondly, why did Dominic Iorfa waited until after the game where Sunshine Stars had beaten Lobi Stars 1-0 in the Premier League Week 34 match played at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi before raising the allegations?

Did he played the match under periscope under protest?

Thirdly, the referees accused did not handle the game and yet the result turned against him or were the match officials who still handled the game also settled by Sunshine FC of Akure?

Fourthly, Iorfa presented as evidence nine pictures showing match officials for the game being conveyed to Bauchi in a vehicle owned by Sunshine Stars. On a re-visit, these are environmental to match-fixing. More concrete facts must be adduced.

DOLPHINS ATTEMPTED MATCH-FIXING:

Okoro, who was the centre referee for the Sunshine-Lobi Stars’ match, gave detailed accounts of how officials of Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt, rather than Sunshine Stars of Akure, allegedly exerted pressure on him to make sure that Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi emerged winners in the game.

The referee informed members of the ethics and disciplinary panel sitting at the NFF secretariat that Dolphin’s Technical Adviser, Stanley Eguma, had prior to the match day, called him on telephone to ask for his help by ensuring that he helped Lobi FC get the three maximum points from the match.

Eguma, he claimed, said that the outcome of the match would have a negative effect on Dolphin’s position on the league table if Sunshine Stars of Akure wins. Okoro said: ‘The chairman of the Rivers State Referees Council called me and said, ‘you don de go Bauchi?’ I said yes I am on my way. He asked me again in pidgin language ‘where you dey now?’ 

I said my chair; right now we just left Markurdi. When we got to Lafia heading to Akwanga he called me again asking, ‘where una dey now?’ I told him that we just left Lafia. Then early enough when we took off from Owerri, Emeka Iwuagu, the former team manager of Heartland FC called me; he said ‘have you left Owerri for your match?’ I said yes, that I am on my way.

‘Later again, after Dokunbor spoke to me, in fact, even before this date of the match, Stanley Eguma had earlier called me for about 30 minutes. 

He was telling me in that particular episode that he was not the person that removed me from his match, because before he spoke with me Dolphin had just played Enyimba and they drew 1-1. 

He said that it is a fight between the Yoruba and the South, between them (Dolphin) and Sunshine, that I should not allow this thing to happen to them.’

At this juncture, Okoro emphasised on Eguma’s insistence that Dolphin had a special interest in the Sunshine versus Lobi Stars match, adding that Lobi should be allowed to win the match.

‘Now after Dokubor spoke to me at Lafia, Eguma called me, because in the last statement, Dokubor told me that they (Dolphin) have sent him, and he is now trying to board a flight to Bauchi, that I should wait for him.

‘Now Eguma told me after his arrival in Bauchi that, ‘up Ref’, I said fair play. He said that he had sent Dokubor to me. I said is that so? He said yes. I said okay Dokubor called me some minutes ago, to confirm that he is coming to see me in Bauchi.

‘I asked him what he was coming to Bauchi to see me for, he said I should please try and assist them and ensure that Lobi comes out victorious in that match; that I should know that if Sunshine gets a result in that match they are doomed. 

I said sir, you know me very well, that I am not one of those referees that says this team will win or this team will draw or this team will lose; that you know it I have handled your match, even in your home. He said yes he knows. The story ended there,’ explained Okoro.