Danger Hangs Over LFA President!

The Association of Women Football of Liberia (AWOSAL), comprising11 female soccer teams, amidst reports of postponement of the March 21, 2010 General Elections of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), has vowed to unseat the leadership of the LFA by any means within their power.

The female clubs vowed to invoke the attentions of the world football governing body FIFA, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC through ominous letters, coupled with hunger and sit-in strikes, if the Izetta Wesley’s clandestine intentions of deferring the elections until after the June, 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa is realized.

The President of AWOSAL, E-Kartoe Gaye, told Daily Observer Sports over the weekend, that meetings calling for the impeachment of President Izetta Wesley and her two Vice Presidents, Pennoh Bestman and Adolph Lawrence and the establishment of interim leadership, for breaching the statute are currently going on.

“We want to express here that we are greatly surprised at the disrespectful manner in which the LFA through its Secretariat called off the November 20, 2009 extra ordinary congress. We think the failure of the LFA and its Secretariat to properly disseminate information to the stakeholders among other things especially a major decision of congress which was taken in the interest of football, shows that the leadership of the LFA is incapable and lacks the ability to steer the affairs of the development football in Liberia.  

“Article VI Section 6:14, which states that no extra ordinary congress shall be held within two months before or after the regular Congress, simply means that there will be no mini congress, but we are warning Izetta Wesley and her Executive Members of the holding of the 15th Ordinary Congress on March 21, 2010.

“This decision was reached based on series of consultations and meetings held among the Women Football clubs of the LFA. Let it be clear that the failure of the Executive Committee to act accordingly, we will be calling for the impeachment of the President, the two Vice Presidents and the women representative,” Mr. Gaye of Shooter Female Soccer team asserted.

Meanwhile, according to the Secretary General of AWOSAL, Michael S. Gilayeneh of Blanco FC, there are reports that the LFA boss is planning to thwart the election process, either through postponement of the date owing to financial constraint or otherwise.

Referring to the elections clause in Article X, which says “the general secretariat shall notify the Members of the names of the proposed candidates at least two months before the date of the Congress,” and with election set for March this year, the LFA secretariat is falling short of its statutory mandate by its tight-lip posture.

“Much more to the functions of the LFA secretariat in Article XXXIII, Section 10.5, the statute gives the LFA Secretariat the responsibility to ensure the implementation of all decisions of the Executive Committee, Standing and Ad-hoc Committees of the LFA and we believe this facet should place the secretariat in a better position to act now, without delay to liberate itself from its existing surrogate state of affairs,” the chief scribe of the female teams noted.

Mr. Gilayeneh further divulged that the LFA president stands accused of having the strong wish of attending the pending World Cup Finals in South Africa as president to bag some money on behalf of the LFA and the way around that is to bypass election since her ascendancy to power has proven no impact on the development and promotion of the Liberian game.

Reports filtering through the corridor of the local football governing house on UN Drive states that a decision has already been reached for Executive Members and heads of sub-committees and associations not to have voting power.

According to the source who begged anonymity, only Presidents of premier, 1st, 2nd and Women football will have the authority to vote, if the 15th Congress takes place on March 21, 2010 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) on the UN Drive.