By Alpha Abu
The main challenger in the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Presidential race, Rodney Michael has told Politico that having gone through the provisional eligibility scrutiny by the Electoral Committee of the Association he had no reason to be dissatisfied with the electoral process.
On the intention of parliament to step in to bring harmony in the football family, Michael said the intention of the House was good in that they support a free and fair election. He pointed out that Parliament has the power “to intervene in anything that affects the country”. “It is part of their responsibility as Parliament, they have the legitimacy’’, he said and noted that it was a similar viewpoint shared by the Speaker Dr. Abass Bundu whom he quoted as saying it was their legal right to intervene and dialogue to maintain peace and harmony in the football family, when they visited the House on Friday 5th February, 2021.
On the leaked audio message on social media purported to emanate from a key supporter of the incumbent, Michael was emphatically convinced it was the voice of Victor Lewis whom he said he had known for over twelve years now. He said the utterances by Lewis have discredited the process by “pre-empting the conclusion’’ and the impression he got from the audio was that “they were trying to influence the outcome of the election”, which he said was unfortunate.
Michael explained that similar acts have brought anger and dissatisfaction before. “It was all lies and deception’’, he charged, but again expressed the hope that members of the Electoral Committee would continue to maintain their integrity and not be swayed by an audio.
On the SLFA elective Congress in Makeni city later this month, Michael says: “All I ask and have always asked for is a very credible, peaceful, free and fair process and that is all I continue to ask for”.
Michael was one of eight people cleared by a recently constituted FA Ethics Committee of any wrongdoing following their suspension for some five years from all football -related activities, on allegations of match-fixing. He remains one of the most formidable candidates to challenge Isha Johansen for the presidency of the SLFA in the elections later this month.
Since 2013, the administration of the game in Sierra Leone has been engulfed in deep rooted conflict with the country’s premier leagues disrupted for years.
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