The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) says that its Extraordinary Congress scheduled for tomorrow has been convened in accordance with the GFF Constitution and with oversight of FIFA and CONCACAF.
In a statement yesterday, it was responding to a Stabroek Sport item on November 6th headlined `Hush-hush GFF Congress scheduled for Saturday – Forde slate set to return minus O’Jeer’.
The news item had reported that the President of the West Demerara Football Association, Orin Ferrier had said that he had not received any official notification of the slate to be presented to the congress. The news item had also reported the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones as expressing shock that the GFF was staging an election.
“The GFF would like to state categorically that the GFF Extraordinary Congress has been convened in accordance with the GFF Constitution and with oversight of FIFA and CONCACAF”, the GFF statement said yesterday.
The notification of Congress, nomination of slates and preparation for the Election of the Executive Committee is being done in accordance with the GFF Constitution, the GFF Electoral Code and with the oversight of the GFF Electoral Committee, the statement said.
Only one slate has apparently been presented.
The GFF noted that it had circulated a press release on 29-10-2019, which was carried by all media houses, including Stabroek News.
“We reiterate that we find the Stabroek News Article of Wednesday November 6, 2019 to be disingenuous and a flagrant attempt to mislead the public.
“This administration has been very steadfast in sedulously adhering to our Constitution at all times. A letter from our General Secretary (ag), in accordance with Article 30.5 of the Constitution of the Guyana Football Federation Inc., was sent to all our Honorary Members of the Regional Member Associations, Member Affiliates, Member Clubs, Executive Committee, and Electoral Committee on 10-12-2019, notifying them of the Extra Ordinary Congress”, the statement said.
It further said that it was surprising that, according to the news article, just a single member claimed not to have received any information regarding the Extraordinary Congress.
“The mechanisms that we have in place regarding communication among the membership is well established and a simple check with the office to ascertain why the notification was not received would have revealed that it was sent; the records will substantiate this.
“It does not serve any purpose for the GFF to notify just a few members on any issue; this is just not part of our institutional DNA. All relevant information on any matter that involves all our members are sent to them and, again, the records will support this”, the statement added.
It said that the Executive Committee of the GFF has had to write the management of Stabroek News on several occasions to point out the “deliberate pattern of negative, selective and/or biased coverage of the GFF by that news entity. We are bewildered that a credible newspaper such as Stabroek News would allow the prejudices and biases of one of its reporters, whose business interests in football conflict with GFF policy and has resulted in the level of animus he has towards the Federation, to influence their editorial policy towards GFF”.
Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief Anand Persaud said there has been no “deliberate pattern of negative, selective and/or biased coverage” of the GFF.
The GFF noted that the reporter included a comment from the Director of Sport.
“It is passing strange the Director of Sport would want to weigh in on this issue. He has admitted that the NSC is not required to be informed by an association whenever it’s having elections. So why then would he intone that the GFF is being discourteous to the NSC by not informing that body. Has such a sentiment been expressed to any other sporting association before? The Director needs to (be) mindful it would be difficult to scotch the perception that, by being used as a vassal of the reporter, he is allowing his slips to show”, the statement said.
The GFF said it would like to assure its members and the larger football fraternity that it will continue to adhere to its Constitution and that this core principle would never be compromised.
