There is no dispute that Covid-19 pandemic has caused unbearable damage to all countries. Sports has also suffered greatly.
However, with the humanity in the Federation International Football Association (FIFA), Sierra Leone Football Association, like all members of the association of FIFA, has received major relief packages from the world governing body.
First was the approval of FIFA to release all annual allocations for 2020 supposed to be US$1.5M.
Then we heard about monies coming from FIFA such as US$500,000 AND CAF US$200, 000 as further support.
FIFA Council, in addition, approved a special package earlier this week.
Female football alone would receive US$500, 000 this month, July 2020. This must be used purely for female football.
An additional grant of $ 1 million USD will be disbursed in 2 equal installments, July 2020 and January 2021.
Furthermore each FA could apply for a loan equivalent to 35% of its annual revenue, not to exceed US$5M. With our limited revenue we could struggle with this one.
These are the packages and disbursements we have heard of from other means and not from SLFA, and there could be more not disclosed.
It is safe to say that SLFA, since February 2020 and by end of January 2021, would have received over US$3M from FIFA, intended to ease the challenges of the football membership in Sierra Leone.
Let me repeat…intended to ease the challenges of the football membership in Sierra Leone.
This is why I cautioned SLFA…beware the membership is monitoring your every move.
You are not permitted by the SLFA statutes to disburse money outside of the approved budget, irrespective of how extraordinary and genuine the purpose is.
You are not permitted to utilise the money in such a way to influence delegates to vote for your president in the coming congress elections.
The Executive, like was done in so many African Countries, Uganda and Liberia are perfect examples, must convene an assembly for the 53 delegates representing the membership, and propose a budget for these members to debate and approve, possibly with amendments.
So far the only amounts disbursed to the membership that is made public are those given to the Premier Clubs at Le450M Division 1 and 2 clubs, Le 250M, the regions, Le84M each for competitions and districts Le25 Million each for Covid relief.
In other words, from all monies received, the disbursements are about US$150 000 which is less than 10% of funds received so far from FIFA, or less than 5% of all funds received and to be received by January 2021.
This is totally unacceptable considering the purpose and intent is to assist the membership during troubled times.
The majority of players are going without salaries now that there are no football competitions.
The club owners and financiers are struggling to maintain these clubs.
FIFA in its wisdom allocated these monies to ease the burden but where only a small percentage is disbursed to the football membership, one wonders what agenda SLFA Executive has for these monies.
It is your statutory obligation to convene a general assembly, do a full disclosure and allow the membership to approve a budget.
Failure to do so is in breach of the SLFA statutes and could be considered as misuse of funds.
An advice to the president and the general secretary; sidelining the executive committee, victimising one executive member for not supporting the President’s candidacy and disregarding the membership in determining how these funds are used will come to hunt you.
I therefore encourage you to do what is right and convene the general assembly now that the restrictions have been eased.
Submit a budgetary proposal to suit the current situation, and allow the membership this time to debate and approve it legitimately and not by a skewed hand count process.
It will be your protection in time to come and could save you greatly from any unforseen embarrassment.
A word for the wise should suffice!
I am a friend, not a foe! I mean well!