Affiliates of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), yesterday, staged another `Walk out’ of the Ordinary Congress called by the local governing body to deal with issues pertaining to the development of the sport locally.The Ordinary Congress which was held at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Hadfield Street, which attracted delegates from the GFF’s affiliates and which was to have started at 10:00 hrs, never got underway until one hour later.
At the end of it all, the persons/associations that are after the head of GFF’s president Christopher Matthias and his current executives have been denied a chance to legally remove him or his current executives from office, since the reconvened Ordinary Congress was aborted.
After being informed by the chairperson Ms. Mabilo Howard which associations were present and which were absent, GFF’s president Christopher Matthias introduced the head table which included Federation International Football Association’s (FIFA) representatives in the form of CONCACAF’s Director of Legal Affairs Marco Leal, FIFA’s representative and president of the Bahamas Football Federation Anthone Sealey and CONCACAF’s Legal Adviser Bruce Blake who are to send a report of the reconvened Ordinary Congress to the world Governing body (FIFA), who in turn, according to Matthias, will send another representative to investigate the issue before making a pronouncement on the status of Guyana’s football.
Matthias instead of sticking to the agenda circulated to the media and supposedly to the GFF’s affiliates, went straight to item `F’ of the agenda (Appointment of Returning Officers).
This caused some delegates to get annoyed and they subsequently voiced their concerns over the issue.
Aubrey Henry, secretary of the National Women’s Football Association was first on his feet stating that he is in receipt of two correspondences from the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) as well as one from the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA), and that the correspondences relate to issues within the GFF that has not been resolved.
Henry recommended that their be a forum between the GFF, the disgruntled associations and the FIFA observers to discuss certain matters pertaining to the conduct of the particular item.
Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) General Secretary Odinga Lumumba supported the suggestion stating that when the Ordinary Congress was first held on April 26 of this year, the disgruntled associations were left wanting in terms of making their no-confidence vote against the incumbent President of the GFF, Matthias a reality.
Hence, he (Lumumba) said, “we want to see football being played in Guyana. I believe that is the thrust of Henry’s argument that representatives from both sides meet and try to resolve the matter.”
Lumumba went on to state that voting rights is essential and pleaded for the possibility of reaching for a few minutes to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner.
This was granted by Matthias who said before talking about voting rights “we have to establish legitimacy”.
In the final analysis, Matthias was asked to name three representatives to meet with the opposing forces and FIFA observers and he (Matthias) named Berbice Football Association (BFA) Clay Flatts, Essequibo/Pomeroon Secretary Maxine Stewart and Upper Demerara Football Association representative Collis Gifth.
Lumumba, on the other hand, named himself, Henry and President of the Guyana Football Referees Council, Alfred King.
It is alleged that during the discussions, Matthias recommended that Lumumba accept a vice-president position, while Matthias will nominate one from the other side.
But after 15 minutes of deliberations between the associations wanting to see the back of Matthias, no consensus was reached and this led to the Ordinary Congress being aborted.

(By Michael DaSilva)