Some observations of football in Guyana

May 16, 2014 Sports

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Dear Mr. Editor,
After an exciting and entertaining afternoon at the Regency Suites where according to the press Matthias outfoxed his opponents, I would like to make a few observations and points.
When is the GFF Constitution correct and when it is incorrect? Why is the Constitution being used conveniently to satisfy some persons’ personal agenda? Is the real motive to develop football or is it to satisfy egos?
I say this, to say, that it is my personal opinion that the Guyanese pubic is being hoodwinked by a smooth talking and slick individual.
The GFF Constitution Article 34: Decisions states:
Para 1: “The Executive Committee shall not engage in decision making unless four (4) of its members are present.”
Para 2: “The Executive Committee shall reach decisions by a simple majority of the members present in the event of a tied vote, the President shall have the casting vote. Voting by proxy or by letter is not permitted”.
The above section of the Constitution is as clear as a crystal clear day, just attending primary school alone and you will comprehend same, no need to go to Harvard. Now! Let us go back a little bit and see what Article 33: Powers of the Executive Committee says:
Para a): Shall pass decisions on all cases that do not come within the sphere of responsibility of the Congress or are not reserved for other bodies by law under the constitution.
Para b): Shall prepare and convene the Ordinary and Extraordinary Congress of the Federation.
Para c): Shall appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and members of the standing committees.
Para d): Shall appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and members of the judicial bodies.
Para j): Shall appoint coaches for the representative teams and other technical staff.
Para I): Shall ensure that the Constitution is applied and adopt the executive arrangements required for its application.
My fellow Guyanese and football lovers, the GFF is or was in a Constitutional upheaval and crisis. A Credible Vice President resigned, another Vice President was unlawfully suspended by an Unconstitutional Extra Ordinary Congress, another Vice President had stopped attending meetings and was calling on the President to resign, a Committee Member also stopped attending meetings.
Out of six executives only two were functioning, the President and his loyal Committee Member who has been benefitting financially by presenting fictitious bills and advances on his monthly stipend (SALARY) (talking about stipend, this same individual earns more than all the permanent staff members at the GFF, this is exploitation at its best).
The President with no approval or authority from any one charaded with two individuals and made them provisional VP’s and they attended Ex Co meetings. Now tell me which part of the Constitution gave the President the permission to do so. The President has the gumption to make these appointments on his own, who does he think he is, he doesn’t own the football and I hope CFU, CONCACAF & FIFA are noticing the crass disrespect that is being perpetrated by this dictator like President.
There is a Referees Committee and also a Disciplinary Committee which were recently installed, The Executive Committee did not appoint and approve of such as in the above extraction of the Constitution, hence they are both illegal.
Who gave the approval and permission to call an Extraordinary Congress to suspend the UDFA Executive and who gave the approval and authority to call this just concluded Ordinary Congress, I guess it was Matthias. And he is on record saying he is not a Dictator.
On the issue of Interim Management Committee having voting rights, as a remigrant and ardent follower of Guyana’s Football, I am aware and all in Guyana are that IMC’s do not vote. Georgetown and Linden were denied voting rights a few years ago. Voting rights are for Associations that have fulfilled all the rudiments and requirements of being a member.
IMC’s are usually installed after violation has been created by the Association hence the need to have an IMC. An IMC is installed and given a time frame to get its house in order before full membership is reinstituted. An Association is errant if the said Association is dormant as in the case of Essequibo.
This member has no properly constituted club so it cannot be considered as a full fledge member. They have the same status as provisional members and in Article 10: Request and procedure for application for full and provisional membership Para 2 reads: “In case the applicant has been granted provisional membership, it will enjoy the rights of a full member upon the prior approval of the Federation. However, it shall have no voting rights at the Congress .The Congress may after a two year period of provisional membership consider to admit or not to admit the provisional member into full membership of the Federation.
In the case of Bartica, it was reported that the clubs moved a vote of no confidence against the Executive and installed an IMC to run their business until officers are properly constituted and installed. For an IMC to be accepted the Executives of the GFF must concur, this did not happen.
Well, the Linden situation was conveniently fixed to facilitate the Congress; again there were no Constituted GFF Executive to approve and Install an IMC hence they were unconstitutionally invited to attend and vote and that was illegal, crockishness and hijacking the process of good governance.
I recently saw that Lindener, Jermaine Figueira has been relentlessly pursuing a case for Mr. Matthias, but a forensic look at the style and presentation of those letters, clearly shows that he was not the author of those letters. I have seen earlier missives of this individual and his style of writing is erratic, confusing and congested at times.
The author of those letters is more systematic, grammatically correct and more informative. However, can “Mr. Figueira” say if the Linden representatives were given a mandate to support Mr. Matthias after what he did to their democratically elected executives, I saw him asking the similar question about other associations?
Mr. Matthias continues his crusade in destabilizing football. Recently he fired the cleaner for no reason maybe because she worked for the past regime. Those who pretend and preach about God will be whipped the most when judgment day comes. The tears of that lady, her children and grandchildren will be on you for the rest of your earthly life.
It is time FIFA, CONCACAF and CFU come to rescue Guyana’s Football from this tyrant of an individual, with his lies, fabrications and trickery. It is rumored and being gossiped around that he wants to get his hand on the FIFA money (US1 Million dollars) that is due from FIFA after the World Cup and has devious plans in the spending of it.
Divine intervention is needed now, now, now.

Yours respectfully
Chandrika Samsundar

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