Lamin Jarjue a former Presidential candidate of the West Coast regional football association WCRFA who took a court action against officials of the regional body over election matters, has said he is surprised that the GFF went ahead to confirm his suspension at its recent AGM.
“I think the move is not inline with the spirit of the new found reconciliation efforts that everyone is hoping in football. This only shows that the GFF is determined to continue its intolerance to dissent by wiping out people they perceive to be opponents. We have passed that dictatorial tendencies now. I think they will be fighting a lost battle when they continue to behave like this,” Jague said.
He said he was persuaded by the Governor of West Coast Region to withdraw his court action and to seek reconciliation with the GFF. “I was only contacted by the WCRFA secretary Abdoulie Badjie to send a letter requesting for the lifting of my suspension immediately which I could not do at the time as I was busy at my job. Mr Badjie never told me it was needed to be presented before the AGM takes place. I did not even know about the AGM until a day before. Am therefore surprised that my suspension was even mentioned let alone to be confirmed by the delegates,” Jarjue said.
Jarjue maintained that he has not flouted any rule and the recent move by the GFF will compel him to restore his court action since the GFF has no intention to reconcile.
The GFF executive suspended Mr Jarjue several months ago claiming he has flouted a law which prohibits football matters to be taken to court sideling the many legal remedies that existed within the football governing laws, and contrary the constitution. They tabled the matter for confirmation by assembly delegates at the AGM on Saturday.
Meanwhile Bakary Paco Dampha, the president of the KMRFA also suspended by the GFF for allegedly obstructing a match, has also had his suspension confirmed by the assembly.
In his reaction, Paco said by tabling his suspension at the AGM, the GFF has now confirmed that their very act of suspending him last June behind the assembly was wrong in the first place.
“Additionally, a suspension can only come after several warnings but in my case it was just a direct decision suspending me with immediately effect meaning the GFF has an agenda,” he said. Paco said the emergency committee, which took the decision, is not even the competent body to take such decisions. “I think this move by the GFF is designed only to remove me from football because. I always condemn or criticise their decisions, I am being targeted because I use my conscience to give ideas and criticisms where it is necessary. The GFF is afraid of criticisms,” he said.
How vowed to challenge the decision to suspend him from all football saying if the GFF can resist investigation by a competent authority over alleged financial fraud like the NSC who are they to suspend someone for trivial common occurrence of a match obstruction.
The GFF last year said its emergency committee has suspended Paco for illegally obstructing an officially sanctioned match among other things.
