'Bility Got It Wrong'...Rochell Stands Up For Due Process

                       Former EC member Rochell Woodson


The situation involving the expulsion of Ms. Rochell Woodson has allegedly turned into a political battle as there are more questions surrounding the legitimacy of the process leading to an expulsion verdict.

Initially, many broadcast and print media institutions reported as per the information provided by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) that EC member Rochell Woodson was expelled based on act incompatible to her status. Said information was reported in almost all of the local dailies as well as radio stations, even though the FA at the time and to date failed to clearly interpret what it meant by 'act incompatible to her status.'

The local football house seems to be in disarray in its information dissemination structure but still confirms that Rochell was expelled for act incompatible to her status. But it now appears that the information that came from the FA was a mere speculation and probably it was formulated by those who engineered the expulsion scheme with evidence of the letter issued to Ms. Woodson.



According to the letter which was signed by the FA boss Musa H. Bility, Ms. Woodson's expulsion was arrived at during deliberations by the EC on findings made by the ac hoc committee.



The letter claimed that the body (Executive Committee) found sufficient reasons to concur with the Ad hoc committee's recommendation for the expulsion.



“Your action did not only contravene the policy of football, but also undermines the credibility of the National Football Team and football development in general,” the letter stated.



“The decision of the executive committee must however be approved by the congress at the appropriate time,” the letter further said.



The letter did not in anyway mention 'act incompatible to her status,' but confirmed that congress will have to approve the decision. Given the inconsistency on how the information was released and considering the FA's failure to mention which statutory provision Ms. Woodson contravened, the embattled EC member said 'Bility Got It Wrong.'



She said she was not accorded due process, stating that she was the first person to lodge a complaint against another EC member Adolf Lawrence.



Ms. Woodson claimed that the FA did not cite any provision within the statute of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) for which she has been expelled, stressing that the inconsistency of the FA questions the legitimacy of the entire process.



LFA is today boasting of its new statutes, which according to them is a direct format of FIFA's statute. Under the FIFA structure there is a provision for redress through the Appeal Committee.



Unfortunately, the LFA has no alternative provision to seek redress, like the appeal or grievance and Ethics Committee, especially when a decision which has no statutory backing is taken.



The situation has become more complicated given that the Ad Hoc Committee which was set up by the FA, as per the statute did not meet the requirement.



The argument has become more of a statutory violation against a mere practicality. Some are arguing that the LFA statute authorizes that people who serve at the level of such committees should be individuals of legal knowledge.



To the contrary, the committee that was recommended to the Executive Committee (EC) of the LFA that Ms. Rochell Woodson be expelled were people of no legal knowledge or backing. The hullabaloo that surrounds the process undermines the legitimacy of the decision thus branding it as unlawful.



The stage for such argument continues to get wider as there are more questions than answers. People are now raising concern over the lack of avenue for Ms. Woodson to seek alternative option in getting immediate redress to her expulsion decision. The argument is turning into a marathon that has no end, but with all the EC members dancing to the tune of the LFA Boss, then what other channel can be pursued, FIFA, CAF or WAFU?



Bility and his team of executive committee members need to know that what is not done legally is not done at all. Furthermore, due process cannot be accorded in the absence of an Appeal Committee or Grievance & Ethics Committee comprising of people with legal knowledge.



Additionally, the Executive Committee of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) needs to make public the findings of the ad hoc committee so as to convince the Liberian populace that the decision was taken based on the recommendation from the committee. In Bility's letter addressed to Ms. Woodson, he confirmed that they found sufficient reasons to concur with the ad hoc committee's recommendation for the expulsion.



Research has proven that nowhere in football administration, except for Liberia, that an ad hoc committee will recommend expulsion for an executive committee member and such decision be taken immediately without the approval of congress.



It seems that LFA has chosen to run football administration contrary to international best practice, something many observers claim as unfortunate given the level of individuals at the Executive Committee.



However, the Executive Committee needs to prove beyond all reasonable doubts that its decision was done within the confines of the FA statutes given that they did not mention anything of such in the letter issued to EC member Rochell.



Whether the publishing of the ad hoc committee findings is in violation of the FA statutes or whether it is done fictitiously, remains a question on the lips of many football followers. D. Webster Cassell writes