Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Let the nation judge who is right or wrong – Matthias
– challenges disgruntled members to public discourse
Speaking at a Press Briefing before a wide cross section of the media at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Head Office yesterday, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Christopher Matthias called on disgruntled members to appoint someone to face off against him to discuss their grievances on national television in front of a national audience and let them be the judge.
Christopher Matthias
The GFF President, who has been in office for just over one year and who is being challenged by a no confidence vote by certain members, made a further commitment by saying that if he is found liable of any wrongdoing by the public at large then he would do the honorable thing and resign.
He also stated that should the other side be found guilty of misleading the nation and helping to destabilise football they too should announce their willingness to relinquish their respective posts within their respective administrations and apologise to the nation.
“Let’s go public as they seem to want to go that way,” Matthias told media operatives, in reference to a briefing held by the disgruntled parties last Saturday, at the Water Chris Hotel.
The members have 48 hours, which will end at midnight on Sunday, to respond to the invitation.
After taking the reins of office in April 2013, the former Georgetown Football Association General Secretary, his tenure has been maliciously examined by past and present players in and out of the administrative setup who according to him are hell bent on disrupting the plans, programmes and conventional practices of good governance which had sadly eluded previous administrations over the past two decades.
At the last Ordinary Congress on April 26 at the Regency Suites, there was a no-confidence motion against the incumbent, which led to the reconvening of the Congress within 45 days.
The Congress was observed by CONCACAF’s Director of Legal Affairs Marco Leal, FIFA’s Developmental Officer Howard McIntosh and CONCACAF’s Legal Advisor Bruce Blake.
The reconvening of the Congress was arrived at by Matthias, who sought to resolve the differing issues articulated by the restive associations, but a walkout followed during the Congress after six associations returned.
Those that returned were the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), Guyana Football Coaches Association (GFCA), East Coast Football Association (ECFA), National Women’s Football Association (NWFA), Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) and East Demerara Football Association (EDFA).
The associations withdrew after the no-confidence motion against Matthias, which was filed by the EBFA and seconded by the ECFA, was discarded following a 9-9 tie at the voting.
It is understood that the no-confidence motion did not follow the protocols required for the filing of such, as it did not state a reason for the motion, nor did it contain a letterhead or returning address.
Among the unfinished business at the Congress were the election of two Vice-presidents and the presentation of the GFF’s forensic audit for the period January 1998 to December 2012.
Matthias further stated that the officials were invited to a meeting on May 15 via email to discuss the issues they needed to be addressed.
The GFF boss said he found it strange that those members would then go public a few days later with a number of other issues when they outlined only two in their email correspondence.
At that press briefing, representatives of the Georgetown Football Association, the Guyana Football Coaches Association (GFCA), East Coast Football Association (ECFA), National Women’s Football Association (NWFA), Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) and East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) were given the opportunity to express their protestations.
The GFF Head reminded that any attempt to besmirch his personality and leadership must be supported by facts, honesty and objectivity and that is why he has offered to his accusers the chance to challenge his governance and integrity on a national platform.
Also, in attendance at the Briefing was Head of Infrastructure and GFF Committee member Keith O’Jeer.
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