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Liberia’s more than decade-long bloodletting is slowly becoming a thing of the past with peace and stability firmly taking roots. But the queue of peace talks and broken cease fire pacts from Geneva to Abuja, and finally back to Accra in 2003 featured prominently on the radar of peace hungry Liberians.
But the diameter of conflict and battle for power and privileges amongst the well situated at the expense of the weak seemed to have shifted to the board room of the Liberia Football Association with world football governing body (FIFA) hosting three days of peace talks to end bitter rivalry, which has worsened the already declining state of Liberian Football.
Liberian soccer has fallen far below the euphoria and frenzy that saw the Lone Star make two Nations Cup appearances and witnessed unique continental showings spearheaded by L.P.R.C. Oilers, Mighty Barrolle and Invincible Eleven (IE).
Events that followed the elections of Cllr. Izetta Wesley in March 2006 as President with a narrow margin of two votes over her deputy Siaka Sheriff at a jammed packed event at the BWI in Kakata gave signals about a doomsday scenario waiting to happen.
The contest was stiff. And the elections itself dubbed as a house divided against itself. But Adolph Lawrence, the victor in the Vice President for Operations race, left Kakata with promises of tough times at the Executive Committee, dominated by people who had supported Siaka Sheriff.
The inauguration two weeks later at the Monrovia City Hall saw the continuation of the intrigues with the new LFA boss being accused of refusing to shake hands with VPO Lawrence in apparent reactions to what was considered his “unsportsmanlike” reaction to the results of the elections.
Undoubtedly, the infighting continued with the predominantly opposition Executive Committee insisting on the sacking of Chief Scribe Yanqueh Borsay on account of being the “President’s confidante”.
The ensuing six months saw an acrimonious search for a new Secretary General, which witnessed several capable persons being rejected by Lawrence and Co. This politically driven exercise also saw a venerated figure like former Lone Star Defender and former Assistant Minister of Sports Washington Blay being rejected. Somehow, former student and democracy activist, also a sportsman, George Wah Williams, convinced the skeptics and was finally selected to fill the vacancy.
Not even a new Secretary General, believed to have been removed from the LFA politicking could calm the tension, as a fist fight was soon reported between then LFA Executive Committee member Rodney Wilson and Chief Scribe Williams at an Executive Committee Meeting.
Few months down the road, the intervention of the Liberia National Olympic Committee could not have held back the suspension of six, known to be less complementary of views reflective of the LFA Boss from the Executive Committee.
Supporters of Cllr. Wesley had hoped that a smooth ride was on the horizon but it was not realized as the LFA Boss had remained steadfast to abort series of petitions seeking her removal. The conflict however hit rock bottom with half of the League’s sixteen teams refusing to show up for the just ended National Football League.
Chea Tugbeh of Second Division side 72nd joined the campaign and saw the Civil Law Court presided over by Judge Yussif Kaba speak to newsmen about an injunction against the league. Chea discounted the widely respected view that football matters ought not to be entertained in court.
But the Ministry of Youth and Sports had intervened pending the argument of the case with the LFA’s legal team headed by former Solicitor General Theophilus Gould pitted against old time legal rival human rights lawyer Dempster Brown.
The Ministry’s mediation talks held at its new offices at the SKD sports Complex became a known failure with the LFA excluding protesting clubs from the LFA Congress that was slated for September 13, at the YMCA on Broad Street.
The volcanic eruption must have erupted with members of the barred club threatening a ‘blood bath’ if the Congress had gone had. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, within twenty-four hours to the event sent a letter postponing the event to avoid what they call security concerns.
LFA President Cllr. Izetta Wesley accused the Youth and sports Ministry of siding with the protesters, indicating that the Justice Ministry had given the all clear signal. The Ministry also requested the intervention of FIFA to end the complex and long running impasse.
Sampson Kablan, Head of FIFA Development Office in Abidjan, was flown in and held talks with all of the parties including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Liberia football Association and Clubs involved in the league along with the protesters.
FIFA Secretariat, following a brief period of anxiety in Monrovia, anticipating the outcome of Kablan’s Meetings, the world body invited a representative of the clubs, two each from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Liberia Football Association.
But the LFA requested FIFA to provide clarity, arguing that Kablan had met with both the clubs protesting and those already in the league, noting that the September 26 Communication from FIFA inviting the parties for talks slated for October 20-22 did not state specific groupings.
FIFA’s response generated much comfort with the LFA, as they are presumed to have gained another slot with the green light for a representative for teams already in the league. Mighty Barrolle President and Executive Committee Member Garmodeh Karnga, a known confidante of the LFA Boss eventually joined the trip.
The parties now at FIFA House in Zurich include Former Executive Committee Member and LISCR F.C. President Mustapha Raji, LFA President Cllr. Izetta Wesley, LFA Secretary General George Wah Williams, Youth and Sports Minister Etmonia David Tarpeh and her deputy Marbue Richards.
The meeting has been of such a magnitude that FIFA Boss Joseph Sepp Blatter presided over the deliberation that started Monday October 20.
Invariably, keen viewers of event back home see a fair numerical configuration. For starters, Wesley critic Mustapha Raji is expected to unsurprisingly form an alliance with the Ministry of Youth and Sports that has been suspicious of the Izetta administration, especially on issues relating to the National football team the Lone Star and the FIFA annual two Hundred and fifty Thousand Dollars grants.
On the other hand, Garmodeh Karnga is expected to provide defense of the stewardship of the Wesley administration alongside Secretary-General George Wah Williams.
The protesting Clubs have outlined series of issues that they deem as mismanagement of the annual USD$250,000 annual grant from FIFA and other features associated with the poor management of the game in the country. Of course, they blame all on Madam Wesley.
Analysts are less enthusiastic that the outcome of the talks would see the declining state of Liberian Football reversed. But the actors are well aware about the overwhelming sway the world football commands on the running of local game.
Non-existent sponsors for the league means the LFA simply relies on the annual quarter of a million from FIFA to survive and they ought to remember that he who pays the piper calls the tune.
Editor’s Note: Albert Jaja is The Liberian Journal’s Chief Sports Correspondent in Liberia.
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