In continuation of this special three-part series interview, renowned former FIFA badged referee, Calistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu exclusively tells Sports247 Jide-Ojo Jide Olusola details of his international assignments and how he became a referees’ instructor, after retiring from officiating matches actively with a whistle on the field of play…
Q: Was there any immediate reward for the work you did during Nigeria ‘99 FIFA U20 World Cup?
A: What I may describe as a kind of reward came up when the Super Falcons were going to the Women’s World Cup in the US. The Nigerian media started pressing hard that Nigerian referees were not getting a mention for the competition. So, Farah Addo said, ‘Get me three, four or five Nigerian journalists and let me explain to them. If your referees are doing well, they will go to the World Cup with your girls. So, why do you say Nigerians are not getting a mention?’
I didn’t know that he even asked the journalists about me and, to God be the glory, they gave him a good impression about me, saying, ‘This is one of our best referees in Nigeria.’ That was what the man took up.
Incidentally, on the last day, when they were to travel from the airport, I was late in getting there that day because I was weak. I arrived late, and he said, ‘You’ve done so well all through until now that you are coming late. All the same, I’m going to give you a responsibility. Don’t fail me.’ That was just after Nigeria ’99, and the impact continued into the year 2000.
Although there were other shinanigans on the way and someone even tried to remove my name from the FIFA list, I continued to grow. Then came the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup.
I was with Chris Eseka in his house, and his phone rang. It was only land lines people had in those days, not mobile hand sets as we now see everywhere. So, they had to call his house phone to reach me. It was Femi from the Lagos State Football Association’s office.
He told me that I had an international match to handle. I wasn’t expecting to get any match at that time, and I started thinking maybe they had selected me as a fourth official. I wasn’t expecting any area of full responsibility, but he told me that I was to be the centre referee for a World Cup qualifier in Cote d’Ivoire.
The first thing I said was, ‘Na lie!’ But Chris reminded me, ‘This man is trusting you with something. Remember he said he will give you some responsibilities? Go and start preparing.’ So, I went to prepare and later went for the game.
That was in March. Then another in April of the same year, then another in May. From Cote d’Ivoire, I went to Togo then Benin Republic…
Q: Were there any negative reactions from your colleagues … or what followed those opportunities?
A: Yes, that same year, the powers that be were not happy that I was getting that kind of attention. They were not comfortable with the way I was getting several duties and responsibilities. I was listed in FIFA’s bulletin among all the big referees and match commissioners in Africa. We did not have match assessors at that time, so I took charge of all of them when they came to Nigeria.
So, many people started asking where all these opportunities were coming from and how I was able to carry them out. All the duties were given to me, and we would have positive reports at the end of the day.
By 2001, there was an opportunity for the U17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago; but remembering that story brings tears to my eyes. That’s because the powers that be nearly made me lose that experience. That was after the local organising committee of the competition wrote a letter to me, seeking confirmation if I would be available, so they could buy a flight ticket for me.
However, since we could not get letters directly via e-mail in those days, the letter was sent through NITEL … but somebody in the football federation got my letter and hid it.
After one month, the NITEL guy saw me and challenged me, saying: ‘Na, so you dey behave? You no cum say thank you to me for the letter from FIFA.’ I was shocked. I apologised and told him that I had been expecting that letter for so long and I did not know it had arrived.
Having worked so well at Nigeria ’99 and getting so many words of commendation, I knew the procedure, and I knew that I should be involved in the next competition. So, on getting to the office, I asked around, and one of the staff admitted that a letter arrived from FIFA. They then searched for it but could not find it. Up till this moment, that letter never surfaced!
Q: How were you able to overcome that hurdle?
A: It was only because I had a powerful hand in Farah Addo that I made that trip; but I had to go through London with a higher cost ticket. I had to book it myself, and then I sent the reference to them to pay for it. They told me to book it at any cost, because Addo said I must be at the World Cup. It wasn’t his fault, nor that of the local organising committee. It was our shinanigans here in Nigeria.
To God be the glory. The man said, ‘All I need is that this guy should be there.’ So, I got there, and I worked. I did my best, and my best was considered good enough.
Q: Was there any other experience for you after that?
A: Yes, this time, it was January 2002 at the Nations Cup in Mali. I returned from Trinidad and Tobago in September. I was there when 9/11 happened in the US. In fact, we were in a classroom for pre-tournament lectures when that bombing happened in the US. I remember that incident very well.
A few months later, my name was listed among the next set of referees for fresh international appointments. In those days, CAF was having a relationship with UEFA. As God would have it, the European referees that came were looking out for only one name. That was another beautiful stepping stone for me, as Lim Kee Chong of Mauritius was my next room neighbour, and he always spoke well about me.
Everybody was apprehensive about what could happen next. They kept on asking, ‘What’s so good and special about this boy?’ Those questions got louder when I was given my first game, and I did so well with it. At that point, the questions changed to nods of satisfaction.
‘No wonder,’ they said. ‘No wonder all this attention on him.’ That was the beginning of another chapter in my life. It opened a bigger door of opportunities in my refereeing adventure, but the powers that be never whittled down.
They wanted me out of the way. It even got to a point that they began to use the relationship between Farah Addo and then FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, to hit at me. I had an appointment for the CAF Super Cup, but some people in Nigeria said ‘No’ to it. These are real stories; but I need not share them now. Let’s leave them for another day.
Q: OK, sir. Let’s move closer to the present … when did you retire, and what have you been doing since then?
A: We are where we are because God gives us all various opportunities. Another one came for me in 2006, when I retired from refereeing. I actually had to retire because that was my 45th year of active duty. I retired, and I ran away from refereeing because of what I faced, the stories I heard about other people after they retired, and many other things that transpired.
The stories were frightening.
Fast forward to 2011, which was five years after I retired, and another opportunity came for me. By then, we had started using mobile phones, and Lim Kee Chong called me one day. He was at that point a member of the referees’ committee of CAF.
He asked me a tough question and said, ‘My friend, I knew you as a good referee, and I know you can communicate. So, why are you not coming out to be an instructor?’ I had a quick and simple answer. So, I told him, ‘Because the powers that be won’t allow me.’ He then said he would work out something … which he did.
He worked out some training programmes and FIFA member association courses. He told the instructors to give me a trial, which he would report to CAF, so that they would then invite me to take charge of similar duties.
In 2012, there was the visit of Felix Tangawarima of Zimbabwe, who had been at the Nations Cup with me. After I delivered the topic that he gave me, he had asked the people that had been told to evaluate me what they felt about me. They simply told him that I was head and shoulders above the other instructors, whom the shenanigans had earlier told him to take as their preferred choices.
They tried to confuse him by saying Nigeria would not accept me. He then told them that I would be accepted internationally instead.
Q: Were there any other challenges or difficulties you faced when you started as a referees’ instructor?
A: Yes, there was one in 2014, after my nomination came from CAF for me to handle a course. Unfortunately, because I had been out of international travel for a long time, I didn’t know that I could fly out from Abuja. I thought it could only be through Lagos. So, on the departure day, which was a Saturday, I went to the Lagos airport, but Egypt Air was not flying from there.
Someone then checked my ticket and told me I was to fly out from Abuja. So, I had to first travel to Abuja the following day, paid a ‘No Show Fee’ for the previous day’s default, and then boarded the next flight to Egypt.
However, the course I was going for started on Sunday, but I could not start with them because I was arriving the next day. I landed in Cairo around 9pm on Sunday, but the hotel where I lodged was quite a distance to the course venue at October 4 City, where CAF’s headquarters is located. By the time I got to the hall on Monday, every other person was sitted except me. I eventually took my place for the course and played my part.
After five days, by Friday, the course ended, and the remarks they made about me were astonishing. They said, ‘No wonder Lim had been disturbing us every time about Chukwujekwu. Now we know why.’ The course ended on a happy note, and that’s how I started as a CAF referees’ instructor.
Q: That’s a wonderful story. God has really been with you. Let’s now talk about the present … what has your progression been like as a retired referee?
A: I will agree that God is in control of everybody and everything. Every human person’s life is controlled by God. So, my stories prove that, whether people are happy with you or not, once you get to a place where everybody needs you, just give good service and you will stand out. So, my quality of service helped me grow, despite all the opposition that I faced. That’s why I use my story to encourage people.
Q: What advice can you give other aspiring referees and those who are already there but want to reach the status you attained?
A: I can only say if you have passion for something in life, don’t let human beings in opposition make you stop your passion or force you to leave it. I never knew how much passion I had for being a football referee and an instructor. However, when I took them up at different points of my life, I began to enjoy them.
When I started as an instructor, I was already living in Lagos, but people who lived near me often felt I didn’t know what I was doing. In spite of it all, there was one young man who believed in me, and when I went to handle that first course in 2014, I believe that I truly did well.
That’s because the following year, 2015, they invited me for another course. This time, it was for FIFA graded referees in Africa, which took place in Cameroon. I led the panel of instructors there, and it turned out to be very marvellous for us all.
Q: What would you say is the secret that makes you do well in all your assignments?
A: Before I left and while I was going, I prayed to God to give me a good starting point. To God be all glory, the very first sentence I made left a whole lot of impression on them … and even the powers that be were shocked.
By the time I got back to Nigeria, the people who were doubting me came to ask me for ideas. They went as far as urging me to arrange a referees’ course in Lagos, which I did. However, on getting to the training venue, one of the things I noticed was that some of the boys were there with an intention to floor me.
So, they would ask me difficult questions in class, and some of them would be shouting while the lecture was going on. I told them that no question is useless during my lecture. So, any time they try to twist me, I would answer them wisely. I would calmly break into pieces the nitty-gritty of whatever they asked. Everybody was amazed and, up till tomorrow, people still make references to it.
Q: That’s great; but what’s your status now in terms of being a referees’ instructor?
A: Right now, to God be the glory, I lead a panel of instructors, and I pass technical information to referees. For me, technical information is the main thing. That’s the core of refereeing. We have others who also do physical training.
That’s an important part of refereeing as well but, if you don’t understand the technical aspect of it, you will run from here to thy kingdom come without getting anywhere.
However, they are now coming into our own thinking that you don’t get fit for the sake of it alone. You get fit for a purpose, which is to referee well. If you don’t understand the Maths, you can’t do it well.
I also serve in the referees’ committee of Nigeria Football Federation, where we are also trying to pass great ideas to younger referees. All these are by the grace of God.
– To Be Continued
