By VICTOR OKOYE

The Nigeria Boxing Referees/Judges Association has rejected the move by a former president of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Kenneth Minimah, to withdraw Nigeria from the International Boxing Association (IBA).

This is contained in a communique signed by Etim Okon, the associations president, on Monday in Abuja after their meeting.

According to the communique, members of the association also declared their full support for the emergence of Azania Omo-Agege as the interim President of NBF.

The Nigerian Boxing Referees/Judges Association, a federating body of the NBF wishes to state inter-alia:

That we are still federating under the International Boxing Association (IBA).

That we have not joined nor do we intend to join the so-called ˜World Boxing.

That if a few persons parading themselves to represent this association does so, they do that representing their parochial interest and not the generality of this association.

That at no time was a meeting or form of plebiscite conducted to ask where we will like to federate under, it said.

The members of the association stated unequivocally clear that they were totally and wholly with the administration of Omo-Agege.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Omo-Agege is the interim President of NBF and Vice-President of the African Boxing Confederation (ABC) and the IBA. (NAN)