Letter to Sports Editor….Football’s Administrative Dishonesty and Carlton Beckles

Oct 26, 2011 Sports

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Dear Editor,
“Bring me giants, since the angry dog barked at the moon but the moon wasn’t disturbed.” Carlton Beckles’ over indulgence in polemics, which is definitely not suited for public discourse, but rather for the recently commissioned Haag and Bosch landfill site is a clear indication of the individual’s diagnosis of  “mental constipation and oral diahorrea.”
Since Beckles completely avoids the issues of substance raised in my letter captioned “GFF General Council should seek sanction for Beckles” (K.N 02.10.11).  Editor with such poor penmanship emanating from Beckles as indicated in his letter “Response to Lester Sealy’s letter” (K.N.02.10.15) is indeed a sad day for the administration of football in Guyana and it would sink even further with Beckles around.  Since “the level of any sport is normally determined by the level of administration in place.”  I still support the notion of the philosopher who once said, “If one were to ask me for the prerequisite of my involvement in sport, I would say the first thing is to be happy.”
As a consequence, when distortions, half-truths and slander can take centre stage, more so, from the mindset of a supposedly economically sound individual, but nevertheless mentally unstable and intellectually bankrupt, remains worrisome to me as a conscious black brother, who would never descend to the bottomless pit of self-esteem.
Sir, at Beckles’ inference and at his “guru and mentor insistence” Colin Klass, former President of the GFF and for the public’s information, kindly, allow both Beckles and myself to subscribe to a “lie detector or polygraph test” to establish the ultimate truth of our previous conversations and my letter.   However, before I divulge the harsh but sad realities of the situation as it unfolded, may I infer that the Ministry of Education, through its Distance Learning Programme, recruited Beckles as a model for football administration.
Suffice it to say that my previous letter made reference to Beckles and not C. Beckles. My surname is spelt Sealey and not Sealy! So, in actuality did Beckles read my letter, or was he coerced by Klass to respond? And did he e-mail the letter to Klass for proof reading or he felt he was quite capable of responding by himself? If the latter is true then it’s a reflection of poor intellect! How disastrous for an individual and the sport, more so, one who attended an International Administrators Course!
Meanwhile, as it relates to the notion of a paid pen! My services in this area was ended over a year ago, which was with Guyana Times as a football correspondent. And definitely not by Odinga Lumumba, Ministerial Advisor, to His Excellency President, Bharrat Jagdeo as the rumour mill and propaganda machinery within the walls of the GFF Secretariat, led by Klass had spread.
Kindly, produce the evidence of payment? Can Beckles recall saying to me “I am not seeing much letters from you in the papers, like Lumumba stop paying you”  Is this being misconstrued when I was Competitions and Tournaments Coordinator of the GFA, under Lumumba’s presidency? Or as an administrative consultant for the President’s Cup, under Lumumba’s stewardship?  By the way Beckles, your idol Klass a few years ago had requested of me to be a regular subscriber to the Sports page of Stabroek News for letters to boost his image. This I had bluntly refused, due to my personal integrity, despite financial remunerations. All of the shortcomings within the GFA, I, personally in the past had denounced which would be reflected in the Minutes of previous Executive and General Council Meetings, along with letters to the print media, also, being applicable to the “hidden hand of Klass, in the internal affairs of the GFA.
Testimony to this would have been the most recently appointed GFA Interim Management Committee! Votes of no Confidence in accordance to constitutional articulation were also applicable, whenever the opportunity had presented itself.  Honestly speaking I still volunteer my services to clubs that needs advice, the most recent being Sunburst Camptown that was summoned to a hearing before the GFF Disciplinary Committee, and I was furious when they subsequently declined at the insistence of the GFA executive.
Nevertheless my comments of being paid for my administrative knowledge and expertise, is in relation to privately run tournaments.  So, in actuality, Beckles definitely has a problem with interpretation; How sad!   Finally, as it relates to Liquid Gold, my enquiry was to: Whether they are/were a legitimate affiliate to the Bartica Football Association, and if so are they not playing in the current 6 team League? By the way with “charity beginning at home”, how is it that uniforms can be imported at a cheaper cost and a club from the BFA, had to concede a walkover in the ongoing League, due to the absence of uniforms?
From all indications something is wrong with Beckles’ mental faculties, that such a high level of inefficiency was publicized! My final conclusion is that Beckles should be ashamed of himself as a General Council Member of the GFF, that over the years his contributions at meetings never was critical of Klass and his wrongdoings, including having the General Secretary, to countersign on an audited financial statement a few years ago.  Did Beckles enquire why this was so, owing to the fact that the constitutional requirement clearly outlines the role and function of the Hon. Treasurer!
Once again the individual had clearly misinterpreted my comment about the Organising Committee, which cannot be equated with the General Council. Why must individuals toil labouriously to organize international matches successfully, with no remunerations, while today a body is in place to organize and promote which comes at a substantial cost?  Can the individual recall informing me that in Bartica, a similar situation exists? Would Beckles agree that wanton wastage of monies can be saved if one General Secretary is paid monthly, non-productive association offices are closed down and monthly stipends for executive members is reviewed? My comment about “a player from another club escaping sanction form the GFF Disciplinary Committee” had nothing to do with Liquid Gold, so why should I have called the BFA.”
With 40 acres of land for an academy and training facility in Bartica is commendable indeed! But the GFF with an allocation of USD$400,000 and less than half the amount of land for its Goal Project has nothing tangible to show! Does Beckles honestly feel the GFF would assist financially?
Nevertheless at the end of the day the Ethics Committee found incriminating evidence to suspend Klass, and as I had told him previously, Klass as a member of the Finance Committee and an Accountant by profession would be sanctioned, since in excess of USD$2,000,000 was involved. Carlton yes we are still friends and definitely I can help you with tutoring for 26 sessions in Bartica, 2 per week in the administration of football, and since you are economically sound kindly bear the cost of accommodation, transportation and the nominal fee of $5,000 per session. And you don’t have to respond publicly.
Lester Sealey

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