Izetta Begins Journey!

The Iron Lady of local soccer, Cllr. Sombo Izetta Wesley has decided to formally announce her candidacy for the presidency of the Liberia Football Association (LFA). The occasion will be held at the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) on Benson Street in Monrovia.

Madam Wesley faces challenge to her re-election mission against George Wah Williams, former LFA General Secretary, and petroleum dealer Musa Bility, who is undergoing huge criticism for eyeing the top post without contributing positively to the wellbeing of his club Watanga. As a result, it is said that Watanga was by far better under Andy Quamie as President compared to the current era of Mr. Bility.

As a result, Diamond FC President Ebenezer C. Barclay, Sr. has rated the reigning LFA President Cllr. Wesley far above her real challenger Mr. Bility.

He explained: “If we should retrospect on gains made by these two candidates, Cllr. Wesley will come out with flying colors above Mr. Bility.”

The Diamond FC President narrated: “Since Mr. Bility took over from Mr. Andy Quamie as President of Watanga, the club has lost its status as a major force in the football arena.
“It thus wonders me when people refer to Mr. Bility as a businessman, reason for which they feel he should take over the LFA in order to bring in his business expertise and help galvanize support for the game of soccer. Is this a joke? What have been gained under the leadership of the businessman at Watanga? Watanga under Mr. Bility’s leadership is just like any one of those lowly rated teams in the second and third divisions."

Mr. Barclay further criticized the leadership of Mr. Bility at Watanga for failing to secure a practice pitch, a bus to transport players, and a sponsorship deal despite making huge promises that the club would be second to none in the country.

“If you will agree with me on these facts, then what makes you think that he is coming in to improve the game when in fact he has never done any improvement in the operational scope of Watanga FC?

“At no point in time has Mr. Bility’s Real TV televised games of Watanga FC, his club, to serve as a means of exposure for his players in the Diaspora for greener pasture. Let me challenge Mr. Bility to show to the Liberian sporting public the player that he personally sent out of the country to seek contract in order to improve his livelihood,” Mr. Barclay voiced out.

There is a Liberian adage that says: “if your house doesn’t sell you, the street won’t buy you.” This is to say that since Mr. Bility took over as President of the premier league side Watanga, not much has been heard or seen of the team as it relates to transforming it into one of the best, considering the owner’s well-to-do status.

 Watanga’s activities on the field are still dismal, while materially the club is at a low grade. This raises the question as to whether he would really be in the position to supply Liberian clubs with the materials being promised after winning the elections.

Few years ago, Andy Quamie (apparently for financial reasons) conferred the title of President of Watanga FC on Mr. Bility’s shoulders. However, it appears that Mr. Bility only wears the crown as Mr. Quamie remains actively involved with the running of Watanga FC under the pretext of being Senior Vice President. If Mr. Bility has realistically been playing his role as President of Watanga, there is no argument that the club would have been one of the best outfits both on and off the pitch, considering the strong financial backing of its boss. Additionally, many would have used Mr. Bility’s achievements at Watanga to market him during the forthcoming campaign.

But from the look of things, one can conclude that Mr. Bility simply took over Watanga to gain not only overnight popularity and sympathy but also as a springboard to be qualified as candidate to vie for the LFA presidency. It can be recalled that when some Premier League clubs decided to remove their representatives last year from the LFA Executive Committee, though still fresh on the job at the time, Mr. Bility was the one put forward for the 2010 elections.

Mr. Barclay continued, “As it relates to Cllr. Wesley, under her leadership, for the first time in the history of Liberian football, clubs and players have received cash prizes ranging from L$35,000.00 to L$250,000.00. There have been a lot of advanced training programs for club officials, referees, coaches, etc.”

He named many other gains made by Cllr. Wesley as the headquarters of the LFA at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS), the ‘Win In Africa With Africa’ project at the Nancy B. Doe Stadium in Kakata, Margibi County as well as decentralizing the game with the national league now taking place in Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado Counties.

"Her connections with FIFA, CAF and WAFU as a recognized official has given Liberia the option to benefit from more projects in the nearby future," the Diamond FC President pointed out.

Mr. Barclay, who is vying for the position of Executive Committee Member for the Second Division clubs, calls on stakeholders not to be carried away by the word 'businessman', arguing that Mr. Bility's interest is for something else rather than for the development of the game. "I leave it with you (stakeholders) to make a righfult judgment to make."

Last week, Mr. Barclay disagreed with the notion that the petroleum dealer is the right man to be the next LFA boss. He then brought the leadership credentials of Mr. Bility into question, leaving voters with the option to judge." Look, we have to be objective with ourselves. Watanga, in the absence of Musa Bility, was a force to reckon with. At the time, Andy Quamie, who never had anything, was the president and the team was doing well,” Barclay declared." Since he (Bility) became President, Watanga (FC) lost its image compared to the days of Andy Quamie. So, where are the money and passion he has for the game?

We should be rational and read between the lines,” Barclay indicated. Bility has often suffered lashes for failing to exemplify his football leadership traits by developing his struggling club Watanga. Most critics of Bility argue that he is just too good to remain in the business circle rather than venture into football leadership. For others, he should just remain contented with his present portfolio of Executive Committee Member of the LFA, representing the Premier Division teams. A successful businessman indeed, Bility owns the Renaissance Incorporated, parent body of Truth FM, Renaissance newspaper and Real TV. He also owns the petroleum entity Srimex.

The Watanga boss is at the same time heading the Mandingo Caucus and Board Chairman of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC). There are also reports that he is the organizing chairman of an emerging political party. With all of these portfolios, he would seem to be too busy to effectively run the LFA. “The lady has made herself already. This is not a try and see situation. The person with the vast person should be given the chance and Cllr. Wesley is that individual because football is continuity,” said Barclay.“ We may go for the worst if we continue to change all of the time.

We have decided to appeal to qualified voters to carry Cllr. Wesley along with Garmondeh Karnga (candidate for Vice President for Administration) and Joseph H. Farkollie (candidate for Vice President for Operations) all the way,” he went on to say.
“The problem is not the President. If you get close to her, you get to know who she really is. In the absence of sponsorship, the LFA was able to award cash prizes to clubs. The LFA can boast of the project in Kakata under Madam Wesley, yet they say she is killing the game.”

In order to defeat Mr. Bility, Cllr. Wesley will rely on her many years of experience as a football administrator at both club and national levels. She played major roles in the running of the nation’s popular club Invincible Eleven (IE) before heading Clara Town based Survivors FC as President. She quit the post to become Vice President for Administration under then LFA President Edwin Snowe. She also served in the leadership of the Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF), former track and field federation.

Currently, she is the backbone of Independent Old-timers Sports Association as well as Brazil Social and Athletic Club.On the international scene, Cllr. Wesley has proven her worth, thus being rewarded with the present status of Vice President of the West African Football Union (WAFU), member of the FIFA Committees on Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as International Match Commissioner.