Posted by Government denounces assault on official
At the conclusion of the cup final match on Sunday evening, players and supporters of the Ishielu Local Government Area team descended on the referee, Sebastian Onwe. Nwifuru is the governor of Ebonyi State.
Allegedly, the referee was hounded all across the stadium as he fled for his life after the game because of the bad refereeing he had done.
The governor stepped in to stop the incident after security guards trying to protect the referee were overpowered by the crowd.
Nwifuru condemned the attack in his remarks at the award ceremony, calling it “shameful and embarrassing.”
I was surprised by the players’ lack of professionalism.
Those who disagree with a referee’s call should report it to the appropriate authorities rather than confront the official themselves.
Still, he promised, “the person will get a response,” and he was confident that, thanks to the sports commissioner’s assurances, such violence would never happen again.
The governor said that future tournaments will have officials from other states to prevent similar incidents.
No team or player would have any prior knowledge of the referees.
However, he said, “the sports commissioner has shown his strength in organizing such a competition, and we would continue providing opportunities to empower and unite our youths.”
The state’s primary team would be comprised of the best players from each of the three district squads.
After a year of careful cultivation, “they would be well equipped to excel at the highest level,” he promised.