Key stakeholders in the Ekiti football ecosystem have raised serious concerns about the actions of the acting boss of the State Football Referees Council, Mr. Onilearo.
The stakeholders have urged the chairman to tread cautiously, warning that further unauthorised decisions could expose more irregularities in the council’s management, Footballrover reports.
Operating under the umbrella of a concerned citizens’ watch group, the stakeholders specifically pointed to an interview Onilearo granted on Fresh FM, Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday.
They claim this action was illegal, violating the Nigerian Referees Association (NRA) statutes, particularly Article 32(1)h.
In a statement released by the group, they criticised Onilearo for granting the interview without the knowledge or consent of the national body.
They further accused him of committing a major blunder during the interview by admitting to being aware of the registration of an unqualified candidate for the NRA exams.
There is even more to it, as the group noted that Onilearo misrepresented several facts during his interview.
Onilearo faces growing criticism over leadership decisions
The stakeholders also reacted to the suspension of the council’s secretary, Adegoke Olusola Clement.
They pointed out that since Onilearo admitted to being aware of the unqualified candidate’s registration, it would be only fair for him to step down from his position pending the outcome of the national investigation.
The group criticised the suspension of the secretary, signed by Onilearo, as a distraction.
They described it as a significant misstep by the executive committee led by the acting chairman.
The concerned citizens further questioned the disparity between the date on the suspension letter and the date of the interview.
They also demanded an explanation for why the suspension was not mentioned during the Fresh FM interview.
The group has called for immediate intervention from the NRA’s national body to prevent further damage to the council’s image and the association at large.
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