LFA Saves Face Dedicates New Office

 As Employees Redundancy Exercise On Ice 

 By Wleh Bedell

At long last, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) has dedicated its office at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium.

At a brief but poorly attended ceremony held in the absence of the local football house President Izetta Wesley due to her recent trip to Benin to attend a WAFU Special Meeting.

Only few presidents of Premier, First and Second Division Clubs as well as Heads of Sub-Committees among other were present.

Assistant Minister of Sports Peter Vuku cut the ribbon in place of Lands Mines and Energy Minister Jonathan Mason, thus marking the official opening of the LFA office.

LFA Secretary General Yanqueh Borsay, then welcome everyone and urged them to bring their constitutive ideas in order to move football forward.

The acquiring of the FA offices though belated, should serve as a catalyst for football development in the country.

Pundits believe that such undertaking is certainly belated for the fact that the football house is well supported by its parent body (FIFA), as evidence of the annual US$250.000 it receives from its one million grants.

Also a couple of years it can be recalled there were funds raised by Liberian soccer Icon George Weah and closed friend Taribo West, With closed to US$20.000 was with the intent of building an office for the local football house.

This was than during the administration of former LFA president Edwin Snowe with incumbent Wesley serving as Vice President for Administration and Sackie Kennedy serving as secretary general. Not much was heard of this development.

 The FA has come a long way in terms of fulfilling its primary objective, whether there had been hurdles that impeded the football house acquiring its office is some thing still unknown.

 But no one would concord that the lack of finance had been any program. This is the year where football elections are looming with the electorates choosing people they may give the arduous task of leadership.

There questions as to whether the FA is trying to safe face or this time around, trying to put thing in proper perspective before the ensuring the football election.

 Now that the football house has finally acquiring its own office, there are other salient matters that should be addressed for the enhancement of football development in the country.

 This holding, however, of a viable national league will encourage sponsors that will come forward to help the clubs. Its is an open secret that club end up empty handed after the entire season clubs need to be empowered.

 As Liberian club clubs continues in loom in abject uncertainly for their continuous inability to travel outside to compete with the rest of African.

 This cardinal reason why our players are not marketable as they continue to played their trade in lower leagues mainly in Asia.

 It is quite unfortunate that the LFA cannot solicit sponsor for the league. There is no attractive award offered for winning teams or players. Medals recently presented to clubs at the end of last season had no distinction.

 There were no names or anything instead that could distinguish the medals of premier clubs from that first and second division clubs.

 There is a serious need we model from other countries. Every league on this globe now has sponsors and we too need to do the same.

 Also the recent mammoth sum of US$10.000 given the FA for Women football development is something that should be looked at critically. Instead of only forming All Star Team, the clubs should firstly be empowered.  The game should go to the grassroots.

 Sub-Committees should be empowered as well to Stage female football tournaments in their respective communities. Also the Inter-School Sports Association (ISSA) should be empowered to begin developing Women football in the various schools.

  The need to promote youth football is of paramount concern as it serves as a bed racks for any national team. Last year, Liberia participated in two youth competitions. Notably the U-17 Tourney in Gambia and the U-15 tourney in Nigeria, only because the hosts footed the all expenses.

 As Liberia was represented by hurriedly assemble teams, which came home empty handed from both competitions. As present the country cannot boast of any youth team.

 There should be a systematic sort of promotion, where players would pass through the rank of the U-15, U-17, U-20, U-23 and then the senior national team Nowadays, players are not mature, as they leave from lower divisions to the premiership and then to the senior national team.

The sending of the International registry Transfer certificate (IRTC), which make a players eligible to feature in another league, should be looked at with grave concern.

 Players here on the local scene leave their various clubs for clubs outside with out their previous clubs benefiting any financial gains. The question now is who is responsible for sending the sensitive document with out clubs enjoying the first of their labor.

 And, the streakiest issue is the national team. There is currently a rift between the old brigade former players and the FA. This brings on board the new brigade or younger players who are termed inexperience.

 As there white washing by their more illustrious opponents Senegal Lion Teranga indicates which led to the US$21.000 fines by FIFA for crowd trouble, who are the players being sent for. Are they current? What is the major difference between the local and of the foreign based? What is the relationship between the LFA and Sports Ministry?

 For the opening of the office of the FA not to term as a means of saving face or a fluke as we are now in the year of the elections, all of these relevant issues should be addressed properly for the improvement of football in our dear country Liberia.

 In related development employees of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) reapplying appreciation should now be in as far as the LFA December 31, 2004 deadline is concern.

But appeal that this process is said to be far from reality, as FA employees yet to reapply.

The Local Football House last year in circular to its employees state “ As the year 2004 is about to end and the new year 2005 will be coming in, we are in the process of employing staff for the 2005, and such a memorandum will be signed by all for the period 2005”.

 It further said, “All staff is to reapply for the position they presently occupying at the LFA, so that they will be screened before the memorandum”.

The LFA letter further noted “Effective as of December 31, 2004, your position will be vacant”.

This circular created a serious debate among the employees as the result they wanted more clarification about the process.

 In respond of the significant of the redundancy, the FA executive committee members instead modified the process.

 In a respond to the employees dated December 16, 2004, the executive members said, “Your communication addressed to the president and the member of the executive committee requesting intervention was received and discussed”.

 It further state “in our action, we instructed the general secretary to review discussion as earlier planned and liaise with the Legal counsel and the financial committee to ensure that thing are rightful done”.

 The communication further concluded that “we also want to inform you hereafter; executive committee will not deliberate on any issue concerning you (Employees) that will be place in the press before reaching the body and added that the institution is not run in the press”.

 With the December 31, 2004 deadline is over, many of the view that the December 16, 2004 has closed the issued, thus showing that the secretary has blender. The big question on hand now is whether LFA is prepared to pay the 13months salary arrears to it employees. 

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