Monrovia – The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has shamefully extended an apology to Muscat FC President, Charles Massaley, and Wafu Zone A U-20 Nations Cup squad’s technical staff, for recklessly incriminating them.
It followed the publication of a grievance and disciplinary committee report, which recommended that Massaley and the technical staff (head coach Robert Lartey, deputy coach Cooper Sannah and goalkeeping coach Robertson Waner) be given warning letters for failing to appear before it.
In a communique dated October 8, 2020, LFA’s Secretary General, Isaac Montgomery, apologized to Massaley, who was head of delegation and the technical staff, because according to the FA the accused didn’t get any formal invitation citing them to appear before Committee for investigation.
LFA secretary-general Isaac Montgomery, in an October 8 letter, apologized to Massaley, who was head of delegation and the technical staff, because they weren’t formally invited.
“We will take the necessary actions and make the appropriate clarifications through our media outlets. Please accept our sincere apology,” SG Montgomery added.
Additionally, the FA indicated that the committee’s recommendation against goalie Ashley Williams, defender Jeremy Saygbe and midfielder Marlon Harrison of LISCR FC midfielder Rufus Padmore, strikers Alvin Gbotoe and Jestino Jackson of Barrack Young Controllers as well as Nimba United defender Ben Benaiah will be enforced.
“Williams, Saygbe, Harrison, Padmore, Gbotoe and Benaiah will be given warning letters for several unethical behaviors at the tournament, and that, they will be made to sign a code of conduct bond when called-up in the future.
Meanwhile the FA says striker Jestino Jackson has mandated to pay 50 percent of the market value for the missing suitcase, which contained several materials of the national team assigned to him that got missing.
The FA is gradually becoming very political as it has been rumored that most decisions emerging from its Grievance and Disciplinary Committee are as a result of inside influence.
Stakeholders have on many occasions questioned the independence of the FA’s Grievance and Disciplinary Committee.
The latest apology from the FA clearly demonstrates the level of biases and gross incompetence exhibited by such an integrity body.
An insider recently hinted that the decision to apologize to those falsely incriminated by the committee, appears as a serious embarrassment for the FA.
It has been observed that the committee has entirely surrounded its independence and decision-making prowess, to the FA’s presidency.
What is even troubling is the fact that stakeholders no longer feel comfortable taking their grievances before the committee.
The committee’s latest decision to wrongfully incriminate the accused was greeted with a barrage of disagreements and unpleasant bombardments.