Found this on soccernet...quite amazing:

Nigerian referees given permission to take bribes
By Reuters

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Football referees in Nigeria can take bribes from clubs but should not allow them to influence their decisions on the pitch, a football official said on Friday.

Fanny Amun, acting Secretary-General of the Nigerian Football Association, said bribery was common in the Nigerian game.

"We know match officials are offered money or anything to influence matches and they can accept it," Amun told Reuters on Friday.

Amun first made the statement earlier in the week to a football seminar in the capital Abuja, prompting protests from other officials.

"Referees should only pretend to fall for the bait, but make sure the result doesn't favour those offering the bribe," Amun said.

At the seminar, Nigerian football league chairman Oyuiki Obaseki reprimanded referees for poor quality match reports, saying that bribery was to blame.

"The quality of your reports have not done our league any good, so please desist from corrupt practices," he told delegates.

Despite a high-profile campaign to stamp out graft in the impoverished African country, Nigeria consistently ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world -- and football is no exception.

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I personally think it happens in a lot of countries across Africa...certainly in Zambia. It's just amazing that an FA official can come out seemingly condoning it...almost encouraging it as it appears.

Any thoughts on this olu?

honestly I had to laugh at this article just to prevent myself from crying about the state of football in my country.........Fanny Amun is an idiot......I have seen the man speak before the 2002 world cup actually (not in person, I havent reached that level yet)........someone asked him what was going to be done about Nigeria's inability to defend set pieces....I remember his respone being "uh.....well.....we have natural abilty to defend them.....so we shall be fine.....". He was an assisstant coach in 2002 and funny enough we only managed a point. He is the Secretary-General right now...and funny enough we will not even be attending that competition this time around.....anyway....reports are ciriculating that he has lost his job.......infact this embarrasment may have been the last straw.....because others....including the great Daniel Amokachi have been reported as being terminated (remember this is naija press.....not exactly the BBC...you know).......you know this is a big time of transition for us...currently we are not really sure who is actually running football in the country....or who will take certain spots on the NT......if handled the wrong way....we will continue to flounder in mediocrity....if handled the correct way....we will retake our inevitable place among the greats of the football world!