A seasoned Nigerian referee, SP Usman Ochenika of the police State Sports officer SHQ, based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has indicted the football Associations in most of the hostilities that are experienced in most match venues, saying that some of the hostilities in the matches are stage managed by the state football Associations.
Sp Usman Ochenika as a seasoned Referee made this statement when he was called to lecture in Port Harcourt city society 1 day workshop on refereeing skills and acquisition and development at liberation stadium on the 25th day of July, 2013, at the VIP hall at 12pm prompt.
The seasoned learned Referee is also a police officer and has raised to the rank of superintended of police in charge of police sports, in Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Rivers police command. Explained to his audience elaborately that most of the odd hostilities witnessed in match venues are actually the handiwork of the state football associations hence it becomes questionable why with all the security officers should there be hostilities in the stadia.
He explained further that even the police in most violence stage masterminded by the football associations will have to mind their lives, because they are also human beings.
Advising even the security officers posted to secure both the players, referees and the fans to secure themselves before thinking to secure others lives, noting that security is an individual thing to both the referees, the security agencies, when in the open.
He highlighted seriously on the steps to be taken to curb hostilities in match venues for the good of the game, as to bring the best of the game to be enjoyed by all and sundry, instead of bringing the game to disrepute.
In his submission on how to curb hostilities in match venues, he said fans should avoid negative utterance when matches are going on in match venues. Also advising security officers sent to secure matches to be diligent in doing their assigned duty and refrain to be part of the emotion of the game.
He pinpointedly advised the police officers sent to secure match officials to be devoid of emotion and sentiment, saying this is one key factor that has also mar the interest of the game adding that it trigger emotions in most cases, hence generating hostility at the end of the game.
He also advised both fans and team sponsors to endeavour to understand the rules of the game before making their accusation against the officiating referees, as they are the final judge to any game they are authorized to officiate. Beside, they are the very people that are conversant with the rules of the game more than anyone else.
He appealed finally to the football loving public to always consider the referees as human being, at such they are fallable sometime, in making some mistake at sometime of the game, as no referee will want to purposefully undue the other team for his selfish reason, he pleaded, saying theses are some of the ways we could avoid hostilities in the match venues. ###
