THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will on Saturday elect persons to fill the vacancies created by the suspension, non-performance and/or resignation by elected members of its executive.

In an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport on Tuesday, the Federation’s president Christopher Matthias disclosed that when the Congress reconvenes on Saturday at the Regency Hotel, Hadfield Street, one of the main issues that will come up for discussion will be the filling of vacancies created by the suspension, resignation and non-performance of some of the elected executive members.
Elected vice-presidents Collie Hercules, Rolston Adams and Ivan Persaud could be replaced with new faces on the executive.
According to Matthias, Hercules was suspended for a breach of the Federation’s constitution, Adams resigned for personal issues and Persaud has been reluctant to function in his capacity
Other matters up for discussion on Saturday include the GFF’s GOAL project which got under way some years ago under then president Colin Klass with the acquisition of a piece of land and a building at East Bank, Essequibo but nothing more has been done to develop the land even though there are lots of promises and proposals.
However, the Matthias administration is seeking to work out a deal with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for a 10-acre piece of land, just behind the Synthetic facility that is being constructed at Leonora, West Coast Demerara for the construction of a training facility, a hostel to house local and internationals teams as well as lecture and dining halls, among other things.
Matthias said all the proposals are currently with the sports ministry and the GFF is awaiting word from that ministry.
Another matter of interest to be discussed is the audited financial report by the Ram and McRae Company.
The reconvened Congress on Saturday will be conducted by Federation International Football Associations (FIFA) guidelines, Matthias stated, adding, “there will be an international presence as FIFA has responded favourably to the GFF’s request to send officials.”
The GFF called its Congress in April of this year but it had to be adjourned after a no-confidence vote, moved by some associations against Matthias, failed to get the required number of votes to oust him.
However, the following month, the associations which wanted to see the back of Matthias called a reconvened Congress which was held at the Waterchris Hotel and at which the media was locked out and surprisingly Persaud was elected to replace Matthias in the capacity of acting president until an election is called in 60 days time.
That meeting was not attended by the West Demerara Football Association.
At the so-called Congress, the Georgetown Football Association was represented by its president Vernon Burnett and general secretary Odinga Lumumba. West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) secretary Elson Kairattie was also present at the meeting that also saw participation from the East Demerara Football Association, National Association of Women’s Football, Guyana Football Referees Council and Guyana Football Coaches Association – forming two-thirds of the General Congress,
But according to WDFA’s president Nigel Garraway, his association had no knowledge of such a meeting or Congress being held in the first place, and as far as he was aware, only the GFF has the authority to reconvene the Congress.
He said he spoke to his association’s secretary at 10:00hrs that day and still he didn’t know that the secretary was present at the meeting.
Garraway in an invited comment had said that as far as he was aware the WDFA participation at that Congress on Saturday was null and void.
Meanwhile, Charmine Wade, assistant secretary/treasurer of the GFA in an email had said she was not and has not been part of any decisions, or had any discussions on this issue of the GFF’s Congress, the motion of No Confidence against the GFF’s Executives, etc, at the level of the executive of the GFA.
“As far as I’m aware, unless I wasn’t invited, there was never a meeting of the GFA Executive and/or general council to discuss this issue,” Wade had stated, adding “Further, I had no knowledge of the alleged reconvening of ‘Congress’ and to date, have not been informed/notified by the president, general secretary or any other executives of the GFA,” Wade insisted.

(By Michael DaSilva)