LFA Expresses
Pleasure:
Bassa Defenders Complain About Omission
- Wants Cllr. Wesley Intervene Urgently
May 2, 2003
Siebo D. Williams
Monrovia
The only team to come out Grand Bassa County in support of the Liberia
Football Association decentralization program, Bassa Defenders, has
been left out of this year's football season.
The decision to leave out Bassa Defenders stemmed from the team's
alleged failure to meet registration's deadline, according to LFA
General Secretary Yanqueh S. Borsay.
The Football House's Chief Scribe said on many occasions, Bassa
Defender was reminded to register, but its President G. Boakai Russell
said he would only register if the past LFA Congress was successful.
He also disclosed that Mr. Russell said nobody could stop his team
from registering in the LFA league even if the team failed to meet the
deadline.
But the Bassa Defenders Prexy has a different version of the
registration saga. According to him, following the death of the team's
financial secretary, he requested the LFA to give him time to settle
the funeral rites and he would register later since the financial
burden was resting on him basically.
Commenting further, he said on the day of the deadline, Friday, April
4, 2003, he went to the LFA he was told to come back in the evening.
"When I returned that evening, I did not meet Koiyan but was later
told to come Saturday with the funds," he disclosed.
Commenting further he said when he got there that Saturday in the
presence of Executive Committee members Abayomi Caulcrick and Fokpa
Collins, the Accountant Joseph Kun told him that he had no
authorization to accept cash. "I was later told to come on Monday at
which time Koiyan took the money and gave it to Abel Cummings, who
deposited same in the bank.," he stated.
"But to my utmost surprise, I told Borsay that despite obtaining
receipt, I did not see Bassa Defenders listed on the tentative list
from which the fixture was made," he further stated.
He said despite his observation, when the final fixture was made,
Bassa Defenders was left out on grounds that they were late for
registration.
The LFA then wrote a letter signed by General Secretary Yanqueh S.
Borsay expressing their pleasure over the omission.
"We are pleased to inform you that is not possible to include any team
on the fixture so your request is not granted as the league has
entered its second round.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to LFA Acting President, Cllr. S.
Izetta Wesley, the team said it is taken aback with dismay, shock and
indignation that the General Secretary would inferred pleasure in his
communication (April 25, 2003) that a product of the football house
decentralization program is not participating in its current league
activities.
"We see it as a 'death warrant' to a young and potential team worst
and still to a community/county soccer remains an integral past time
of the society," the team said.
Commenting further, the team said "Madam Acting President, we humbly
believe all is not lost, and so dearly request your intervention as
your office is the only hope we have."
Concluding, the team says it is anticipating that Cllr. Wesley's
office will turn this impasse around and rejuvenate the spirit of the
game in the county again.
In another letter to LFA Chief Scribe Yanqueh Borsay, the team says it
is inquiring upon which basis was the decision reached to officially
inform the team that it will form part of the league when the
Executive Committee is investigating the registration saga.
"We find it flabbergasted that the Executive Committee would have
reached such a decision without investigating in totality. However, we
await an official executive committee reply."
Reports reaching this paper have it that the decision to leave out
Bassa Defenders may have been personal. There is report that the team
President and a member of Competition Committee had some personal
clashes, and thus he decided to flex his muscles during the
registration. We hope to confirm this with both parties.
Bassa Defenders is the only team from Bassa County that was still
participating in the LFA following the dropping of Gbezon Stars. But
its omission from this year's league completely sealed the doom for
Grand Bassa County as far as the LFA league is concerned.
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