Liberia: Fifa Delegation Arrives

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The Inquirer (Monrovia)

28 August 2008
Posted to the web 29 August 2008

Heston M. Jackson, II

The World Football Governing Body (FIFA) has finally intervened into the current struggle existing at the Liberia Football Association (LFA) which resulted to the abrupt postponement of the FA 14th. Ordinary Congress.

The crisis involving some aggrieved club authorities and the local football house, and what they term as government's involvement into football matter has finally been notified by FIFA, as there is presently an observer in the country.

Mr. J. Sampom Kablam, FIFA West African Development Officer who arrived yesterday held a brief meeting with the aggrieved clubs, participating teams and executives of the FA.

During the meeting, the FIFA official carefully listened and jotted down some of the many plights which were once proposed to the FA by aggrieved clubs or presented in resolutions by some EC members.

Mr. Kablam also listened to the EC members and the FA during which time they unilaterally confirmed government's involvement in football especially wherein the Government immediately requested the cancellation of the FA 14th Ordinary Congress.

He did not make any statement but rather listened to the various complaints, and said that another team of delegation is expected to participate in the ongoing probe. Mr. Kablam is expected to meet the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) to acquire their role played to resolve the unfolding issue.

During their deliberations of yesterday's meeting, the nine aggrieved clubs presented a read document to the FIFA official stating all of their plights ranging from their withdrawal from the league to that of law suit which led to the issuing of a statement of a bloody congress from one of its members, Andy Quamie, Vice President for premier club Watanga FC.

he aggrieved clubs did not only call for a recheck in the guidelines and statues of football in the country, but also want the World's Football Governing Body (FIFA) to see reason in looking into matters of what they term as 'rampant corruption' existing at the FA.

They believe that members of the FA Executive Committee, who receive monthly salaries of US $400.00, have with the officials of the FA taken loans from the FA budget.

For his part, the President of Zelor FC, Melvin Sogbanie has described his colleagues (Aggrieved Clubs) as 'Sports Gangsters.'

He noted that those guys were at a point in time signatories to a document which was in the interest of unseating the present president of the FA, S. Izatta Wesley.

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