Dismissed Chief Referee Opens Up
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
Benedict Yarsiah has spoken out for the first time
since his removed as Chief Referee by Idrissa Kaba, President of the
Liberia Football Referees Association (LIFRA).
Yarsiah was constrained to break silence following reports that he
was refusing to turn over properties of the association.
"I am not one of those who clinch unto power, but I believe in
systematic turnover. I believe, if I am changed appropriately, we
shall turn over. Nobody is going to rush me in turning over
anything," he indicated.
He alleged that when Mr. Kaba left as Chief Referee, he did not turn
over anything, especially documents to his predecessor Alex Nagbo.
“Even the bank book, Nagbo never laid hand on it. When we took over,
we decided to pressurize them for the bankbook because we had to go
into the accounts of LIFRA. We were successful from February to get
hold of the bank book in September,” stated the former Referees
Chief.
According to Yarsiah, with all the odds and ugly things Kaba
allegedly did, referees did not change him. Yarsiah said Kaba was
allowed to stay on because they wanted the association to stand. He
boasts of being the first Chief Referee who believes in
institutionalizing the association.
Yarsiah disclosed that his decision to construct an office for LIFRA
came after he visited offices of other African referees
associations.
“People only had the Referees Association in their personal hand
bags and even the constitution.
“Nobody cared to know about the constitution. But today everybody
has a copy of the constitution. That’s institution.” He described
the current office of LIFRA as his initiative and effort.
He added, “day in, day out, I was in the rain and in the sun from
one office to another, begging government officials.
Yarsiah named the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), The
Liberian International Shipping Cooperate Registry (LISRC) and the
Ministry of Postal Affairs as entities he persistently visited to
seek assistance for the construction of the current referees office.
“The three doors are the effort of Willis Knuckles. Garmondeh Karnga
provided the ceiling tiles. The brand new desk was given by former
referee Ahmed Nasser, a Lebanese.”
Yarsiah pledged that the office would be turned over officially at a
dedicatory ceremony in the presence of people who he said made
meaningful contributions and needed commendations.
He accused Kaba of refusing to appear at the ground breaking
ceremony of the current LIFRA office. Yarsiah listed the former
Deputy Chief Referee Sylvester D. Rennie, Daniel C. Forkpa, former
Chairman of the Referees Standing Committee and S. Weaka Peters,
outgoing President of the LIFRA Board, as those that made financial
contributions towards the construction of the office.
Yarsiah claimed that Kaba did nothing but wants to enjoy the glory.
He went on to say that the computer sets donated last Sunday by
LISCR was a result of a request he made to the group while then
Chief Referee.
“Those are the computers that someone is saying, things are coming
because Mr. X has come to the Referees Association. “Moustapha Raji
knows best why he turned them over without informing the person that
wrote. “It was not fair to us because we should have been informed
officially about the donation.
“Even if you hate us, Pa Weaka Peters should have been informed
about the turning over of the computers. “The former and present
officials and members of the Referees Board and Committee should
have been invited officially but one man wants to take the glory
because he thinks he’s all to it.”
Yarsiah vowed that Kaba would be challenged positively and that he
would prove to the LIFRA head that he is an administrator and
manager who is well learned when it comes to administration.
“As Chief Referee from 1998 to 2004, the only good thing Kaba
brought was confusion, disunity, disintegration and personal
vendetta.
“Mr. Kaba knows when he was chief referee, what he never accepted
others to do to him, he should not do it to us. “The good thing we
saw in this Referees Association has been broken,” Yarsiah cried.
Yarsiah is worried that the Referees Association would crumble if
the Liberia Football Association (LFA) fails to arrest the
situation.
When contacted, Mr. Kaba indicated that everyone was informed about
the turning over of the items to LIFRA though he said some did not
attend the occasion.
Concerning the LIFRA office, Mr. Kaba declared the office as being
for the association and not Yarsiah’s. He claimed that the office
was locked, so the computers have been placed in the office of the
LFA Vice President for Operations.
Mr. Kaba confirmed writing Yarsiah to turn over LIFRA items in his
possession upon his removal as Chief Referee.
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