Sports
Celebrating Heroes, Stars Of Sports In Rivers State
Oliver Toby showing off his skills in a training session during his hay days
Since the creation of Riv
ers State, about 49 years ago, men and women from the State, both the old and present day Rivers, have carved niches for themselves and earned spaces in the sporting maps, not only in the State but Nigeria and beyond.
Over the years, athletes discovered in the streets, creeks and coastal lines of the State have worked hard to make marks and rub shoulders with other national and international athletes of repute. In the course of their efforts, they succeeded in bringing glory to the State in particular and the country in general.
Therefore, at times like this, when stocks are taken, visions assessed and the future visualized, it is always apt to put the maxim which states that, “it is from the ashes of the past and the substance of the present that the future is determined,” to test, in order to inspire the younger generation and those that would want to take to a particular way of life, like sports, business to contribute to the development and promotion of the image of the State.
That is why it is pertinent to always recall and recognize the stars and heroes of yesteryears without forgetting the current crop of pacesetters in an industry, particularly sports.
In the years of yore, especially, in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Rivers State used to be one of the major nursery beds that supplied athletes to national teams and contingents in different and several sporting events.
In fact, veteran athletics coach, Tobias Igwe, aka Toblow, once in an interview referred to Rivers State as a major benefactor to Nigerian sports, especially in track and field events as regards the production of athletes in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
Thus, as Rivers State celebrates her 49 years of existence, efforts to be a major player in the entity called Nigeria and several achievements of her successive administrations, sons and daughters, it is worthy to once again recognise, some of Rivers, Stars and heroes, who not only took their chosen sports careers beyond the shores of the State but returned with accolades, laurels and honour.
Dr. George Ogan (Late)
This Okrika-born athlete and sports administrator per excellence was a pioneer Long and Triple jumper that was discovered in the 1960s. He later became a role model for young men who were attracted to long and triple jumps and became an idol and mentor to later day triple jumpers like Joshua Kio and others. Late Ogan took his events to the Olympics and Commonwealth Games where he won medals. A technocrat of repute, Ogan later became an administrator in the sports industry and a member of the committee that studied the sports policies and models that made East Germany so successful back in the days. His committee’s recommendations gave birth to the National Sports Festival in Nigeria which had its first edition in Lagos in 1973.
Warisenibo Kalada Aminiokuma:
A Bonny-born high jumper of repute. He dominated and popularized the event and won several meets, especially in the then Eastern Nigeria.
He was also a member of the Port Harcourt Red Devils that were a strong force in Nigerian football those days.
Ombo G. Peters (Late):
One of the best sprinters to have come out of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area and Rivers State. Late Peters was a specialist in the sprints and long jump between 1960s and 1970s and was a member of the Nigerian Team to the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games of 1986.
Ethel Jacks:
Jacks hails from Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State and became a Table Tennis Queen of great repute in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Her dexterity saw her being described as a national and African Queen of the sport before the emergence of players from the South West as leading forces of the game.
Joshua J. Kio:
Popularly known as J. J. Kio, this Okrika-born athlete took the baton from the likes of Late George Ogan and Nemi Adoki. He was synonymous with Triple Jump in Rivers and Nigeria. He won several national and international laurels in the sport as champion. Kio, who has been Director, Sports Institute, Isaka and Director, Sports Development in the Sports Ministry is to date, one of Rivers State’s only two-time Olympians, after featuring in Moscow; 1980 and Los Angeles, 1984.
Chief Nemi Adoki:
Another Triple Jump Star from Okrika, Chief Adoki was a revelation and toast of the event at the National Sports Festival in Ibadan tagged Oluyole ’70. He was one of the triple jumpers that ruled the scene between the 1970s and early 80s before veering into sports administration. Adoki was among the pioneer members of the National Association of Athletics Refereeing, officials, NAATO.
Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, MON, JP:
Also from Okrika, Amiesimaka was one of the few youngsters that were able to combine sports with University education in the late 1970s and ‘80s. As an undergraduate at the University of Lagos, the gifted footballer was able to play for the national team, the then Green Eagles that went on to win the African Cup of Nations for the country for the first time in 1980.
He also played for the famous Rangers International of Enugu and Sharks FC of Port Harcourt. An accomplished Lawyer, Amiesimaka was a sometime the Attorney-General of the State, ace broadcaster and football administrator with a passion for the development of grassroots football.
He is currently among other things a football columnist in a national daily.
Tamunoemi Gibson:
Another athlete from Asari-Toru area of the State, Gibson was a guru and hero n Badminton in Nigeria. He represented the country in a couple of All Africa and Commonwealth Games where he made name for himself and Nigeria.
Ojadi Aduche:
An Okrika-born athlete, a Weightlifter that blazed the trail in the State in the 1990s. He was a dominant force at the National Sports Festivals. A real champion that flew the country’s flag at both the All Africa and Commonwealth Games where he won medals.
Ojadi won gold medals at the All Africa Games in Kenya and Cairo ’91, Silver at Commonwealth Games in 1990 and was a member of Team Nigeria to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992.
He has since become a coach, helping to wean Weightlifting talents in Rivers State.
Oliver Toby (Opobo)
One of the successful 64kg category Weightlifters from Rivers State, Toby dominated the scene in the 1990’s. He emerged junior champion during several World Weightlifting Championships in 1990 in Florida, Miami and in 1992 in Turkey.
He also won three gold medals at World Junior Weightlifting Championships in 1994 in Canada. At the All Africa Games, Cairo ’91 and in Kenya, he casted away two gold and silver medals, respectively. He is also an Olympian, having participated at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Benjamin Minimah:
Another Weightlifting talent from the State. Minimah, from Opobo virtually took over the mantle from Ojadi Aduche and was a class apart at successive National Sports Festivals in the 1990s until Bauchi 2000, when a combination of events saw him lose out in medals and he bowed out of competitive weightlifting.
Godwin Banuna:
Banuna from Khana Local Government Area was among the very few long distance runners produced by the State. In fact, the athlete nicknamed Mr. Endurance was arguably the best greatest long distance runner/steeple chase champion ever in the State. He reigned supreme in the 1970s and won laurels at national and continental levels.
Silas Ogwuama (Late)
Another Okrika-born athlete that distinguished himself in athletics (Field events). He specialized in the Throwing events: Javelin, Discus and Shot-put. He won a bronze medal for Nigeria during the ECOWAS Games of 1977.
Mpakabuari Fynface:
Fyneface is from Asari-Toru LGA but now based in the USA. He was a dominant champion in the 400 metres and 400 metres low hurdles races in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Graywood Oruwari:
Another Asari-Toru born athlete now in USA, he was a specialist in the 110 metres high hurdles race in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Tari Tikili: (Old Rivers)
Tikili was a Squash athlete and champion. He made waves in the 1970s and ‘80s at national and state level.
Obia Inyingiyikabo (Okrika)
Obia is the leading face of new generation athletes that thrust the State in the glare of national and continental limelight. Nicknamed ‘the Fish,’ she is the queen of the pool and bestrode the national swimming landscape as a colossus for years. A national record holder in Breaststrokes and Backstrokes, Obia dominated National Sports Festivals, regional and national swimming tournaments.
She at different times emerged multiple gold medal winner at different Collegiate Games, at both the Nigerian University Games, NUGA and West African University Games, WAUG. University of Port Harcourt owes some of her past domineering performances at NUGA and WAUG, to Inyingiyikabo’s medal hauls. In fact, she is regarded as the greatest female swimmer of all time in Nigeria.
Eric Willams: (Okrika)
Another recent generation swimmer who showed great potentials. After winning medals for the State, especially at National Sports Festivals, Williams captained Nigeria in several national and international competitions where he equally won laurels.
Imama Amapakabo (Okrika)
This ex-youth international turned coach is currently making waves as the Head Coach of Rangers International FC of Enugu. He made his name playing as the safest hands for Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt in the 1980s and ‘90s.
‘Imamarima’ as he is fondly called, perhaps has not received as much celebration as he truly deserved. This unassuming but agile goalkeeper in his time was an integral part of the pioneer national Under-17 team that conquered the world in China and won the World Cup (FIFA/Kodak U-17 World Championship) for Africa and Nigeria for the first time in 1985.
After retiring from active football, Amapakabo trained as a coach and has been part of the coaching crew at Sharks FC and Enyimba International before joining the camp of the Flying Antelopes in Enugu.
Joseph Yobo: (Khana)
Yobo has been one of the most consistent performers in Nigeria football. After cutting his teeth at local side, NAFCON FC, Port Harcourt, he became a youth international and part of the Flying Eagles team when Nigeria hosted the world during the World Youth Championship, WYC, Nigeria’99. He also took his game to Europe, England and Turkey and became an integral part of the Super Eagles. He went on to captain the Super Eagles and emerged the first player to hit the century mark (100 caps) for the national team.
Yobo, today could be considered to be one of the icons of the national team and football in Rivers State.
Taribo West (Asari-Toru)
West was an indefatigable defender that emerged from the streets to Julius Berger FC of Lagos from where he took his game to Europe and the national teams. He was a Trojan in defence for the Super Eagles and perhaps had his highest point in the game when he made history as part of the Olympic team to win gold in the football event for the very first time for Nigeria and Africa at Atlanta ’96, beating world football powers, Brazil and Argentina enroute the gold medal. West played for top European sides like Club Bougge in the Belgian Jupilar league and Inter Milan in Serie A.
Tammy Atorudibo (Okrika)
This sprinter busted into the scene in the 1990s and took the short sprints by storm. He was compared to the famous ‘Bullet Ben Johnson’ of Canada as he showed tremendous potentials on the tracks and went on to represent the State and country, respectively at national and international competitions in 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m Relay.
Otonye Iworima: (Okrika)
This Long and Triple jump athlete emerged from the production line of other jumpers of Okrika extraction. He remains one of the leading lights in the jump events in Rivers and Nigeria and has flown the State and national flags at several competitions. It is on record that Iworima earned Nigeria a bronze medal at the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Hon. Tex Jamabo (Late):
This Okrika born versatile sports person has been described as a creative genius in sports and arts, and a pioneer in gymnastics. Before his death, he was a keen stakeholder in the development and promotion of volleyball and volleyball talents in the State.
Pastor Amabere Jamabo (Okrika)
An all rounder, who excelled in many events including Athletics, boxing, Handball and Cricket.
This list is by no means exhaustive as there are still many Rivers men and women who have made positive marks and others still making impacts in various sports in the State and Nigeria.
Also, to the credit of the State, it is pertinent to once again put it on record that Rivers is one of the few States in Nigeria to have hosted the ‘National Olympics Games;, National Sports Festival twice in its history. It hosted first in 1988 and again in 2011, when it put on show not only the best show piece festival but emerged as winner for the very first time.
The Sports Festival must be one of the sporting folklores that must be cherished and preserved in the archives of the State.
The January 16, 2026, deadline handed to Nigeria by the World Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to explain the circumstances surrounding multiple dates of birth for 17 Nigerian athletes may have triggered another round of trouble for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
In countries where sport is seen as a serious business, both governments and individuals treat age falsification as a crime due to the significant danger it poses to society.
Age falsification is a practice where athletes, coaches, or individuals within the system alter their ages to gain an unfair advantage, and in the process prevent younger and qualified individuals from career progression and employment opportunities.
Apart from leading to frustration and high youth unemployment rates, competing in lower age brackets or extending eligibility undermines the fairness, credibility and integrity that sports are meant to embody.
The ripples of such dishonesty stretch far, impacting individual athletes, programmes, and the global reputation of competitive athletics.
From a moral standpoint, age falsification erodes trust within the sporting community; it kills the morale of junior athletes, who train tirelessly only to compete against older folks or those who are more developed physically and mentally. This level of deceit not only denies younger athletes the recognition that they deserve but also creates an uneven playing field that violates the spirit of competition.
Beyond emotional consequences, the long-term damage could hinder the development of talented athletes, who may decide to walk away due to unfair competition.
In well-organised sports societies like the United Kingdom and the United States, severe legal penalties await offenders, including imprisonment and fines, as well as career consequences (loss of job, medals, or permanent bans), among others.
Such serious-minded countries see age falsification as fostering a culture of dishonesty and fraud, as other corrupt acts often move in tandem with it, making the system less efficient and effective.
To them, age falsification undermines trust and accountability within institutions, as it signals a corrupt and unfair system. It tarnishes a nation’s international reputation, leading to global ridicule and sanctions from international bodies like FIFA, World Athletics (WA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Conversely, in Nigeria, age falsification seems to have become a practice among certain individuals and organisations, as they see every competition as a “must-win” event to impress their patrons. Yet, there are some Nigerians who view age falsification as a systemic issue, driven by economic and social pressure from “pay masters”, not minding the results, which include breakdown of integrity, fairness, and efficiency at all levels of society.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), for the second time in two years, has become a centre of global attention, following a December 2, 2025, letter from the World Athletics’ Integrity Unit (AIU) that raised concerns about multiple dates of birth for 17 Nigerian athletes, who competed at the 2025 African Combined U-18/U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In June 2024, the AIU queried the AFN following discrepancies in the ages of four Nigerian athletes, who were preparing for the World U-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
The AIU said then that it “identified discrepancies regarding the date of birth (DOB) for at least four Nigerian athletes,” noting that “each of these athletes has at least two, and sometimes three or more, different DOBs, which have been used to enter competitions at different times.”
The AIU said: “It was not aware of any reason why these athletes appear to have completely different, multiple DOBs. It is also not clear whether the identification documents submitted by the athletes (such as passports) are true or whether they have been forged or falsified.”
The AIU letter on June 7, 2024, addressed to AFN President Tonobok Okowa and former Secretary Rita Moshindi, was signed by the Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit, Brett Clothier. It gave the AFN until Friday, June 21, 2024, to respond to the query.
Then, the AIU demanded that the AFN submit, among other things, the athletes’ current passport, all previous passports, birth certificates, national ID cards, documents submitted in support of passport applications, medical records, including hospitalisation records, dental records, vaccination records as well as education records, including matriculation records, school end-of-term/year reports and school examination results, among others.
In the current query, the AIU revealed shocking discrepancies, as Juliana Ademola Temitope, listed as born in 2005 in earlier competitions, had her date of birth suddenly changed to 2006 at the African Junior Championships.
Adeola Adenji Muideen appeared with a 2004 birthdate in Lagos, but astonishingly became 2009 elsewhere. Esther Aiffigbo competed in 2025 as a 2006-born athlete, yet her World Athletics profile lists 2002 as her year of birth.
Ibrahim Ajibare has no fewer than four different dates of birth, ranging from 2002 to 2009, while Emmanuel Blessing’s DOB was entered as 2007 at the Juniors, but 2002 at the Asaba Trials.
For the AIU, these definitely are not clerical errors, but deliberate manipulations designed to sneak overage athletes into junior competitions. The AIU has made it clear that such practices undermine the honesty standard of athletics and cast doubt on Nigeria’s integrity in global sport.
The demand by AIU is clear: the AFN must produce verifiable documents such as birth certificates, passports, school records, or medical files to prove the athletes’ true ages.
Anything less will trigger a formal investigation into age manipulation, a violation of the World Athletics Technical Rules and the Integrity Code of Conduct.
As it stands, unless the AFN produces credible, contemporaneous documents by the January 16 deadline, the country will face another round of investigations that may tarnish its athletes’ reputations and damage the country’s image.
Instead of answering the AIU’s direct questions on why athletes have conflicting dates of birth, the AFN elected to sit in judgment over itself by setting up a probe panel made up of some of its board members.
To some stakeholders, that is a conflict of interest.
A former President of the AFN, Olamide George, told The Guardian from his base in the United States of America that the issue of age falsification under the present AFN leadership has long been a troubling shadow over the federation’s integrity.
“The AIU’s introduction of stricter sanctions could represent a turning point in addressing this long-standing challenge,” George said. “For every cheat, there must be a penalty.”
The Ondo State-born sports administrator further said: “After thorough investigation by AIU, it could decide to suspend the affected athletes, ban officials implicated in the fraud, and penalise the federation, to deliver justice while signalling a commitment to reform.”
According to him, the AFN needs advanced biometric solutions or data verification systems to pre-empt tampering with documents like birth certificates.
“But the question is, ‘Is the leadership ready to lead? Is it equipped and prepared for leadership?’ What a shame. These measures put the spotlight not just on athletes, but also on the adults or institutions that enable such practices. After all, the root cause often lies in organised manipulation rather than individual decisions.”
George continued: “On the flip side, a key challenge is how to balance the punishment with fairness. Some athletes may find themselves penalised for actions they didn’t directly control, particularly minors whose documents were altered by parents, coaches, or administrators. This raises broader ethical debates.
“How do we ensure that sanctions deter dishonesty without unfairly punishing victims of a corrupt system? Governments and athletics’ governing bodies will need to walk a fine line between accountability and compassion.
Ultimately, these stringent measures are aimed at restoring confidence in the purity of athletic achievements.
Sanctions alone, however, may not be enough. I, therefore, call on the NSC to reform the AFN because the federation needs systemic reform, including better education, transparency, and more pathways for athletes to rise on merit. Only then can sports truly embody values like honesty, dedication, and perseverance; values worth preserving for future generations.”
“The AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, should be the first to stand accused. He failed to act when the issue first emerged, and his poor judgment in appointments has only deepened the rot.”
Even before setting up a probe panel to investigate the latest age falsification saga, the AFN boss, Okowa, had absolved the federation of blame, but fingered athletes and their coaches in the age-cheating scandal.
Speaking on a radio programme, Talk Sports, Okowa insisted that athletes and their coaches are responsible for the infractions. He described the behaviour of some athletes and their coaches as “worrisome.”
“This issue has nothing to do with the AFN. Athletes keep attending different competitions with their coaches, who register them with varying dates of birth. You can see somebody with a date of birth that is just about 13 days different. Is that a typographical error or whatever it is?” he asked.
Okowa explained that the federation, which had perfected its database, was shocked to find out that some athletes entered competitions using different dates of birth that differed from those in its database. “That is just what it is. What reason will a coach have to change the date of birth of an athlete? It is getting worrisome,” he said.
But the president of the Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria, Solomon Aliu, disagrees with Okowa. He said that coaches should be absolved of the blame because they work with athletes given to them. Aliu, who is also AFN’s Head Coach, described the latest age falsification saga as more of a record-keeping problem.
“Anybody who is blaming age falsification by athletes on coaches’ doorsteps is being untruthful,” Aliu said.
“What I know about crime prevention is to make it difficult for the criminal to commit the crime by putting in place preventative measures. If the AFN Secretariat has a functional database with the relevant information about our athletes from their very first competition, i.e., Date of Birth and other relevant data, athletes or their coaches cannot wake up to change the athletes’ DOB without the Secretariat flagging such an athlete.
“Coaches are not the record keepers of the federation, and as such should not be blamed totally for this mess that we are faced with. I am happy that the NSC is taking the issue of age cheating in our sports seriously. I’m also certain that AFN will wake up to its responsibility to investigate properly and bring to book whoever is involved in this disturbing trend. Until that is done, I won’t accept anybody trying to tarnish the image of our hard-working coaches. We deserve to be patted on the back and not subjected to name-calling. Heads must roll, but let the head of the innocent remain on their necks. Let us all work together in cleaning up our sports, not just of age cheats, but also of dope,” Aliu stated.
To a former Secretary of the Delta State Athletics Association, Monday Akpoyibo, the age falsification scandal in the nation’s athletics became more rampant during the tenure of a former AFN president (names withheld).
“It was during his tenure as AFN president that the issue of age falsification became rampant because of his desire to win at all costs,” Akpoyibo told Tidesports source.
“In the days of Adeyemi Wilson and Dan Ngerem, they had zero tolerance for age cheats. If the AFN had a good database of its athletes, there would be no age falsification. As far back as the 1973 National Sports Festival, there were three categories of athletes. We had the U-13, Intermediate class and Men/Women class. This system enabled athletes to grow from one class to another as they mature into the Games. So, it was pretty difficult to cheat since the federations had your data,” Akpoyibo stated.
The Sky Blue Stars will make their long-awaited return on January 7, when they host Ikorodu City in their NPFL matchday 20 fixture, bringing to an end a five-month spell away from home in Abeokuta.
Chairman of the club, Kunle Soname, confirmed that the stadium was ready to welcome the team and its supporters again after major renovation works were carried out on the pitch.
“Renovation of the pitch has been completed and has been certified even by the FIFA inspection team. Our first game will be against Ikorodu City when the second stanza of the season resumes,” Soname told Tiesports source.
First opened in 2020 and hosting its maiden league fixture in 2021 following the club’s return from the second division, the stadium’s hybrid synthetic turf has now been replaced with a new surface after five years of use.
At the start of the season in August 2025, Remo Stars adopted the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as their temporary home ground while renovation works were ongoing in Ikenne.
However, life in Abeokuta has proved challenging for the champions, who have struggled for consistency in their bid to defend the title. They opened the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Rivers United on August 22, 2025, before suffering home defeats to Rangers International on November 13 and Bendel Insurance, who edged them 3-2 on Sunday, December 21.
Remo Stars also played their CAF Champions League preliminary matches in Abeokuta but once again failed to reach the group stage. They cruised past Comoros champions Zilimadjou with a 5-0 aggregate victory in the first round, only to be outclassed by South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, who sealed a dominant 7-1 aggregate win after a 5-1 victory in Nigeria in October and completing the rout in South Africa.
Currently languishing in 16th position on the NPFL table with 22 points from 19 matches, Remo Stars will hope their return to Ikenne provides the spark needed to revive their campaign in the second stanza of the season.
Head coach Daniel Ogunmodede, who is currently on national team duty with the Super Eagles at the 2025 AFCON, had earlier attributed the club’s slow start in the league to the temporary change in home ground.
“It is not an excuse, but things might have been different if we had played our home games in Ikenne,” Ogunmodede said in August 2025, following the draw against Rivers United.
Remo Stars enjoyed a remarkable run in the league last season, clinching their first-ever title with 71 points, seven clear of second-placed Rivers United.
While they may no longer be in contention for the crown this term, it remains to be seen how much they can salvage from the campaign upon their return home.
Remo Stars owner Kunle Soname has launched a strong criticism of officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League, calling for referees involved in what he described as clear and obvious errors this ongoing season to be held accountable and demoted, Tidesports source reports. .
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, Soname said the club’s concerns were driven by repeated decisions that have, in his view, tilted matches unfairly.
Remo Stars currently sit 16th on the NPFL table, one place and one point above Barau FC in the first relegation spot, a sharp contrast to last season when they lifted the league title.
Soname referenced several incidents this campaign, including a recent game against Ikorodu City, the matchday 18 fixture involving Remo Stars and Insurance, as well as video footage from the Barau and Shooting Stars encounter, all of which he said highlighted inconsistencies in refereeing decisions.
He insisted that the issue was not a blanket attack on referees but a demand for accountability and consistency.
“Referees can be good. They can get the job done. They just decide to apply the rules in a different way. Now, we have just brought this out now because they are clear and obvious errors. But we all know football, there are many instances where their bias will not result in goals,” Soname said.
He added that the problem often lies in repeated marginal decisions favouring one side.
Say 50-50 calls, they are just consistently giving it to one side, one side, one side. So if there is a body that will watch all the games and that will hold them accountable and say, ‘Listen my friend, why is this a foul in this match for this team in yellow, and the same thing has happened here against them and it’s not a foul?’ Then everybody will sit up and the game will be fair.”
He added, “The committee should reward referees who are doing great jobs and punish those with poor officiating by demoting them to the NNL. It is not the kind of demotion that after one or two weeks they are back, they should be demoted for the entire season.”
Soname stressed that fairness was fundamental to the growth of Nigerian football.
“The better teams will win and that is how football can develop and grow in this country,” he said.
He was also keen to distance his comments from what he described as a misdirected attack on the Nigeria Football Federation.
They will say, ‘He’s attacking NFF.’ It has got nothing to do with NFF. NFF did not appoint referees. It is the committee that appointed the referees. NFF did not hold the whistle to come and do stupid things on the pitch,” he said.
According to Soname, responsibility must be shared between match officials and those who appoint them.
“The referees will carry their cross and the appointment committee will carry their cross as well. Under whose purview is the referee appointment? NFF committee appointed them. That is exactly what I’m saying,” he stated.
He called on the federation to ensure the right people oversee officiating.
“The NFF needs to put proper people there, proper people, that will just ensure accountability and fairness. That is all we require. And trust me, if there is fairness on the pitch, this football will grow astronomically in this country.”
Soname also rejected suggestions that Remo Stars had benefited from refereeing favouritism in the past, particularly during their title-winning campaign.
“Anybody that says he collected one cent from Remo Stars last season, season before last, season before that one, should come out and say it and I will sack that official the same day. That is not what we stand for,” he said.
“I challenge anybody, anybody. If the person can prove it, the person that did that in this club is gone the same day. Gone,” Soname said, adding that Remo Stars’ operations were transparent and could not conceal such payments.
Beyond officiating, Soname highlighted the broader financial realities of Nigerian football, noting that most clubs operate at a loss. He explained that Remo Stars rely heavily on their academy model to sustain the club.
However, he argued that financial strength should be expressed through squad building rather than manipulation.
“If you have more money, go and recruit Ronaldo, pay him, he will score 30 goals and you will win the league. Resources need to be channeled towards competition, towards fairness. It cannot be the other way,” Soname said.
-
Featured4 days agoFubara Redeploys Green As Commissioner For Justice
-
Politics2 days agoYou Have No Power To Drop Me, Ekiti PDP Candidate Tells INEC
-
Sports2 days agoAFCON ’25: Osimhen Not Worried By Yekini Comparison, Pressure
-
Sports2 days agoOgoni Nation Cup : Coach Praise Players In spite 2-0 Loss
-
Sports2 days agoRemo Stars set for Ikenne return
-
Business2 days agoKALCCIMA PROMISES KALABARI ECONOMIC GROWTH, INAUGURATES NEW EXECUTIVES
-
Sports2 days agoChelsea Set To Part Ways With Maresca?
-
Sports2 days agoSoname Calls For NPFL referees demotion
