Monrovia – Nimba Community Radio Association has strongly criticized the county’s Sports Steering Committee for appointing Mouttar Fofana as head coach of the football team ahead of the coming National County Sports Meet.
In a release issued on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, NICORA threatened that unless the Committee reconsiders its decision to appoint coach Fofana it will have issued a media blackout of the county teams and its committee.
According the release, they wrote a letter to the chairman of the Nimba County Sports Steering committee, Mr. Adonis Menlor, informing his office of the recent appointment of Mr. Mouctarr Fofana as head coach of Nimba County Soccer Team for the 2021/2022 National County Sports Meet that has sparked debate across the county and the country coach Mocutarr did not present a good picture” of Nimba in previous County Sports meets as head Coach of the county when he asked the team to walkout of the pitch in the grand final of the tournament two years agoafter a penalty was given against Nimba.
NICORA believed Mouctarr’s decision to ask his players to walk out of the pitch violated the true essence of the national County Sports meet and brought the county to public disrepute.
“Mouctarr’s action also led to Nimba being fined and Minister D. Zeogar Wilson harshly and sarcastically referring to Nimbains as “hooligans”. As you may recall, following Minster Wilson outburst against the county, Mr. Fofana unilaterally and dishonestly apologized to the Minister and subsequently resigned as coach of the county. Such a self –centered decision by Mr. Fofana undermined statements from both the Sports steering Committee of Nimba County and the citizens, calling on the Minister to apologize to Nimba or face self-expulsion”.
“Fellow citizens, up to press time, Mr. Mouctarr Fofana is yet to apologize to the people of Nimba for abandoning the county during such a crisis and also provide reasons why the team walked out of the pitch during the game. Mr. Menlor, Article 2 of the code of ethics for the Liberian Media instructs us to protect the “Public interest”.
“NICORA thinks that Mr. Fofana’s action during and after the Nimba Vs Grand Kru final in 2019/2020 National County Sports meet was improper and his recent appointment is against the public interest, evidenced by the numerous calls from the public on the steering committee to “revoke” such decision and respect the results from a vetting committee set up.”
“Therefore, having failed to respect the content of NICORA’S communication addressed to the Nimba County sport steering committee chairman, Mr. Adonis Menlor for which he was requested to act within seventy-two (72) hours by revoking coach Fofan’s appointment in order to save the face of the county, the Nimba Community Radio Association (NICORA) is placing a “Media Block out”) on all activities of the Nimba County sports steering committee during and after the National County sports meet 2021/2022” the Release signed by its president S. Kennedy Domah states.
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NICORA has therefore urged all sport reporters working with all community Radio Stations in Nimba County to stay away from the activities of the Nimba County sports steering community or face indefinite suspension.
“We also call on our partners, our colleagues who owned individual online platforms to join NICORA in this process for the betterment and interest of the county.