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| Gambia Football Association |
Scheduled at the Independence stadium Friendship Hostel, the
re-adoption of the blue-print was triggered by FIFA’s rejection of the Gambia
stakeholders endorsed document upon discovering, following scrutiny, that some
of the clubs that voted in the December 8th assembly ‘do not at all exists’.
Saturday’s congress saw a turnout of forty-eight against the
figure of fifty-four voting delegates with a record six absentees – out if
which twenty seventeen voted in favour of the draft Constitution as against
twenty, a slender margin of seven as the difference.
A breakdown of the voting statistics shows that one of the
delegates abstained from voting altogether. At the start of voting in the
confines of the Friendship Hostel, the process had journalists barred and a
number of clubs deemed to be ‘ghost clubs’ sidelined to the fringes, including
a self announced GFA presidential candidate Kebba Yorro Manneh.
Speaking at the press conference FIFA Representative and
Head of Legal Division Primo Calvalho hailed the outcome as ‘satisfying’,
adding, that the new Constitution offers space to everybody.
“It allows football development in the country and in the
regions but there is not logical in refusing to vote and challenging the
validity of the constitution because it is tailor-made to develop football just
like in other countries,” he continued.
Responding to claims of manipulations, Primo in a rebuttal
said “that is not true”. “They want to stick to the old ways which will take
you nowhere and you stand to benefit much from FIFA with this new
Constitution,” he concludes.
Minister of Youth and Sports Alieu K. Jammeh, responding to
questions on government’s commitment for the establishment of structures
towards upping the sport in the regions, he said “it our goal to make sure all
these are put in place to promote football everywhere in the country and this
is a satisfying result.”
A handful of delegates fumed, alleging that the process was
rigged when results ticked 27 against 20. “We were not given time to analyze
the Constitution. They (Normalisation Commitee) said there are ghost clubs but
they also brought in ghost people who are not acquainted with our football to
vote yes”, a raging Bakau United secretary general Borry S. Darboe, swarmed by
reporters, said shortly and rather rhetorically quizzed, “why did it take 30 minutes
to announce the results?”
Alhagie Darboe, an official of Brikama United FC, accused
the Normalization Committee of manipulating the process by mobilizing
non-football stakeholders from the regions to ‘cook votes’ for the ‘Yes’
campaign.
Mr Darboe argued that the majority of the clubs who are the
most important stakeholders in the game had voted NO but their votes were
outnumbered by people from the regions mobilized by Governors,’’ he alleged.
Another complainant by the name Mr Fatty, who is an official
of a club in Brikamaba, one of the ‘ghost clubs’ deleted from the congress
delegates list, called the media to display player licences and other GFA
league documents to illustrate his point that his team was playing in a proper
league in the regions.
Responding to these claims, Minister Alieu Jammeh said he
has no doubt about the legitimacy of the vote as the Governors are the first
entry point of any development programme, be it sports or anything in the
regions.
“So there is nothing wrong in working with them in any
aspect of development in their regions,’’ he said.
On his part, the vice chairman and spokesperson of the
Normalisation Committee, Alhagie Omar Sey described the accusations as a
refusal to accept change. “We have repeatedly made it clear that the old system
of doing things in the GFA is wrong no matter who was in charge then,” he said,
adding: “People still choose to ignore that. If you are prejudiced, you are
prejudiced, that is it.’’ He further said people now must focus on the future.
Mr Sey also accused some journalists of aligning themselves
with the opposition camp. “We are having another congress,’’ he described the
atmosphere at a stormy press conference.
Sey took a swipe at the press saying, “Some of you are
wolves in sheep clothing,” but in turn, the journalists accused him of losing
his cool and being intolerant to take questions relaying the concern of the
opposition camp.
The final document is to be sent to FIFA for scrutiny and a
chance of endorsement by the world football, it is predicted, is on the cards.
The adoption of the draft could pave the path to elections for the Gambia
Football Association.
The Normalisation Committee members, whose mandate is
renewed by FIFA, according to the Sports Minister, will not be seeking office
when their term elapses in June – around the same time when an elective
congress is expected.
USE THE LINKS BELOW
TO LISTEN TO DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THE CONGRESS
The vice chairman of the Gambia Football Association
normalisation committee, Alhaji Omar Sey: https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/the-vice-chairman-of-the
Head of Legal Affairs Division at FIFA, Primo Carvalho: https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/head-of-legal-affairs-division
Minister of Youth and Sports Alieu K. Jammeh on GFA CONGRESS:
https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/minister-of-youth-and-sports
Primo Carvalho FIFA Envoy: https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/primo-carvalho-fifa-envoy
A distraught Bakau United secretary general Borry S. Darboe:
https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/a-distraught-bakau-united
Vox Pop Before the GFA Congress: https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/vox-pop-before-the-gfa
Vox Pop after the Gambia Football Association adoptive
congress: https://soundcloud.com/modoubeyai/vox-pop-after-the-gambia
BY: Sulayman Bah and additional reporting by this blog
BY: Sulayman Bah and additional reporting by this blog
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