As FA Executives Meet Today, Reapplication
Decision By LFA Causing Tension

General Secretary, Yanqueh Borsay

December 16, 2004

- Will Sport Enthusiasts At Executive Sanction Decision?

Local Football Governing Body, the Liberia Football Association (LFA), through its General Secretary, Yanqueh Borsay, says that all staff members of the body are expected to reaply for their present occupation. But the latest decision by the LFA is creating apprehension, considering sacrifices made by employees and staff members over the years.

Mr.Borsay issued a memorandum on December 2, 2004, to all Employees of the LFA saying, "As the year 2004 is about to end and the New Year, 2005, will be coming in, we are in the process of employing staff for the year 2005, and such a memorandum will be signed by all for the period 2005." He further stated, "All staff [members are expected] to reapply for the positions they are presently occupying at the FA, so that they [will] be screened before signing the memorandum".

Borsay also said, "Effective [as of] December 31, 2004, your position will be [declared] vacant".

As the deadline of the draws closer, football analysts have begun to look back at the financial assistant program of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Financial Assistance for the LFA.

In 1999, FIFA provided a package of financial assistance to all national associations under the FIFA Financial Assistance Program (FAP).

The FIFA's FAP clearly states that the assistance is intended to improve the Secretariat and the staff.

The assistance would also cover staff development and training with in all its national associations, amongst others.

Although the FIFA grant should enable the LFA to pay all of its employees and staff salaries ranging from LD$350.00 to LD$1,600.00, the football governing body of Liberia had stopped the payment of the Liberian dollars component since 1999-2002.

Analyst considered the stop of salary payment as a tacit violation of the labor law of the country, thereby obligating FIFA to settle with its employees for arrears that it owes its staff members in consideration of the FIFA grant.

It can be recalled in 2002 that the former President LFA, Edwin Snowe met with the staff and propounded two suggestions: "That there be a reduction in the staff, or a 10% salary deduction will be effected on every employee of LFA from the Financial Assistance Program (FAP) granted the body because of some specific reason".

Although the LFA boss did not divulge the reasons at the meeting, however, LFA authorities under Snowe contended that the grant by FIFA was not forthcoming to expectation.

Consequently, staff members mutually agreed to the 10% salary cut on ground of forestalling the laying off of some colleagues due to the hardship in the country.

But the story seemed to be different as LFA Executives, to the utmost surprise and dismay of analysts, the LFA like other affiliate National Association of FIFA, still enjoys the FIFA "FAP" program to the fullest without any cut down in the amount allotted for each year by FIFA.

Instead, it was discovered that the action was intended to reduce staff benefit as was provided by FIFA in the interest of certain higher-ups in the LFA.

While implementation of the decision to make 10% cut was yet pending, the LFA through two of its executive committee members (name withheld) again met the staff few moths later and indicated that the FIFA FAP will be cut down by LFA at the end of 2002.

The two LFA Executive members therefore said some staff would not fully benefit from said program beginning January 2003 as was previously stated by the LFA.

This latest decision indeed left more question than answers, as it relates to the Memorandum issued by the LFA chief scribe that they should reapply for their positions, which continue to be source of disgruntlement amongst LFA employees.

As an executive committee of the LFA meets today, it is expected that some executive members question the rationale beyond reapplication for positions already occupied by staff members who have scarified over the years to sustain operations of the LFA.

Accordingly, public anxiety is growing on the decision by the LFA, and expectations are that well-meaning officials for the good of the sports will turn down the latest decision.