Monrovia- The Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) has come under huge criticism for the purchasing of a 21 seated bus for their football team ahead of the new LFA league season.
By: Christopher C Walker [email protected] 0777898224/0886723076
The Liberian Oil and gas company on August 9, 2024 announced that they have purchased a brand new 21-seater bus to transport its players to and from practices and games.
A post on the official Facebook page of LPRC Oilers its football team stated “LPRC OILERS dedicates a brand new 21 seated Bus,”
The Oil Boys release describes the dedication of the bus as a historic scene at the home of the Oilers, on Bushrod Island, during the official dedication ceremony of the 21-seater Bus in favor of the Oilers Sports Association.
According to the release the chairman of the Oilers Sports Association Board, Mr. Momolu John Dukuly said as part of the Oilers Sports Association Business plan approved by the chief Patron of Sports and Managing Director, Hon. Amos B Tweh , a twenty one seated Bus was procured to commute players to and from practices and Games.
“Permit me to use this occasion, Hon. Chief Patron of Sports, to inform you of the 80% completion of the LPRC oilers Developmental agenda as guided by you, Mr Dukuly intoned.
Mr Dukuly extended thanks and appreciation to Hon Tweh for his tireless efforts in efficiently and effectively managing LPRC while simultaneously providing oversight on the LPRC Oilers Developmental agenda of 2024.
Cutting the Ribbon, the chief Patron of Sports and Managing Director, Hon. Amos B Tweh, expressed his gratitude and confidence in the leadership of the sporting Body of LPRC.
“Be reassured of Senior Management unwavering and unflinching commitment in making LPRC Oilers second to none in Liberia.
“In the upcoming LFA 2024/2025 league season, we believe the leadership and technical staffers of OSA will do its utmost best to sign excellent talented young players in order to capture the 2024/ 2025 trophy, ” the Managing Director of LPRC asserted.
The dedication of the bus was attended by members of the Senior management team of LPRC, Board Members of OSA were at the height of the ceremony attended by scores of employees and Fans.
But when the news broke on social media and other media outlets it was greeted mainly with negative comments that the bus does not represent LPRC as a company and in such modern times it’s a shame.
Many Liberians and sports lovers have termed the oil company purchasing such a bus as a joke to a football team.
FrontPage Africa has been informed that the bus does not have the necessary comfort for players going for a game or practice.
Also, the bus is small for a team that has at least 30 players and over five technical staff as such one may wonder how can the officials of LPRC buy such a bus that can’t even take a match day team to a game.
As per the regulations each team is to take 18 players to a game and seven officials bringing the number of persons for a game to 25 in addition to the materials for the game.
For a 21-seater bus to be presented to a team it seems that those running the club are not in the interest of the players.
Award winning Liberian sports Journalist T.Kla Wesley posted on his Facebook page “LPRC management giving that kind of bus to the sports association for the teams and they get in mind to decorate it with balloons?”
“Reminds me of the Liberian government donating the donated NTA bus to LFA for the national team,”!
“Where is our shame in this country???
“I will NEVER believe that bus was given to LPRC Oilers FC for its football team. Maybe it’s to carry the club’s luggage”
“Bus with seats that you cannot rest your back on? Let’s be serious for once with sports,” he posted.!
Also, a Nigerian blogger name Football in Pidgin posted about the bus at the same time making fun of the Liberian club.
“Calm down no be school bus na football team bus”
“LPRC Oilers FC fans don celebrate tire after them hear say their club don buy new 21 seaters bus today”
“LPRC Oilers FC dey play for Liberian Premier league and dem follow for one of the biggest clubs in Liberia ( dem don win Liberian Premier league 7 times)”
“Abeg make una congratulate them, e no easy” Football in Pidgin wrote.
Nathaniel Sherman, former Liberian international goalkeeper and president of Barrack Young Controller, said the ideal of the managing Director of LPRC is good but he needs to do better.
“That bus remind the players of south Beach, get the crap away and buy at least 2020 bus,”
Respect the players, they are not prisoners!
“Amos Tweh, your thoughts are good but the choice of the bus is far below the belt, rethink MD, you can do better,” Sherman wrote.
For his part former LPRC Oilers player Sidiki Kroma termed the bus as demotivation for the players.
“The first thing this bus is going to do is to reduce the confidence level of the players.
“If this was done by a smaller club in Liberia we would’ve accepted it, but not LPRC Oilers , We have to do better” the former Oilers player said.
“Advance kehkeh Liberia ehn,21 seats 30 players plus 10 technical staff go for practices,” Former LPRC Oilers Goalkeeper Prince Wlame said.
Another person commented by saying “So sad to see this with modern day football in Liberia. Complete comedians,”
The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) is a state-owned enterprise responsible for issuing petroleum importation licenses and storing petroleum products imported into the country by private businesses.
The Management in its quest to promote sports in Liberia has a football and basketball team that plays in the top division of Liberian football and basketball.
But in response to all the comments and posts on social media the club clarified the purchase of the bus was not purchased by the management but the sports association of Oilers.
The release states: “The Board of Directors of LPRC Oilers Sports Association – OSA wishes to inform the general public that the new bus that was commissioned by Mr. Amos Tweh, managing Director of LPRC and also the Chief Patron of Sports of LPRC Oilers was purchased from the sale of one of Oilers players (Sampson Dweh) to a European club, FC Viktoria Plzen for US 155, 412.66. Oilers received US 97, 132.66, while the agent of Mr Dweh received 58, 280.00 according to the agreement.
LPRC Oilers is managed by a Board of Directors, which consist of retired employees of LPRC. A 5 year’s sustainable development plan was conceived for the utilization of this fund.
The plan entails the purchase of a new bus to assist the clubs for practices and local games; implementation of a player loan program, implementation of a revolving fund for the purchase of players, transfer and Signature fees and implementation of fan marketing plan for the sale of fan wearing.
Others include the development of a website (www.lprcoilers.com), Payment of OSA’S 2023-2024 Operations debts and implementation of plans for the erection of a mini stadium for the club.
The Board presented this plan to the Chief Patron of Sports who approved it.
Momolu J. Dukuly, Chairman of LPRC said: “On the issue of the bus, we gathered quotations from dealers of Toyota, Ford and Renault. Even though we would have loved to purchase a 32-seater bus, the prices were all above US 100,000.00. We decided that a second handed bus could be a future problem for the team because of its extended use. So, we settled on a bus from Alliance Motor Corporation for US 28,600.00 that could service our practices and the games of basketball since they were not more than 15 players. The LPRC Managing Director had no decision on the purchase of the bus. He first saw it during the cutting of the ribbon (commissioning ceremony).
Therefore, we took into consideration of the clubs’ needs for practices and local games. LPRC Oilers still have access to the fleet of buses of LPRC. However, we wanted to ease the stress for the clubs during practices. Hence, we purchased the 21-seater bus.
