By Alpha Abu
Violence and controversy have marred the final day of nominations for candidates vying for executive positions including the Presidency, of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), an event that took place at the FA’s Kingtom facility in Freetown. Reports have emerged of some candidates being denied approval by the SLFA Secretariat with former Leone Stars captain Mohamed Kallon said to be one of those affected.
Victor Lewis who is chairman and owner of premier league club, East End Tigers was also said to have been physically assaulted.
A press statement from the membership of the Western Area Urban District Association described the rejection of Kallon’s nomination and those of other individuals belonging to their association as “a disgraceful effort to manipulate the electoral process”. The membership further expressed concern over the FA secretariat staff claim that the “the electoral Committee organised an election online and voted 3 members against 2 to reject the nominations’’.
“This decision to reject so many nominees on such flimsy grounds would be resisted outrightly and the membership will stand against such a dangerous attempt to manipulate the process, similar to what was done in 2013, in favour of the incumbent Isha Johansen”, the statement continued.
It was alleged by the Western Area Urban District Association that for a fully paid up body that had presented all documentations only to see its members rejected because of having not submitted minutes of the Association’s last meeting, was uncalled for, and even made reference to perceived double standards by SLFA in accepting the nomination of “one particular candidate at 7pm on the 8th January 2021 despite the nomination process having been closed at 5 pm on the same day’’. According to the aggrieved regional football body, such an action was ‘’evidence of preferential treatment for some who are associated with the incumbent Isha Johansen”.
Politico contacted the SLFA Media Officer Lamin Tarawally for disclosure of the names of those persons whose nominations were accepted or rejected but he declined to comment.
SLFA has however in a press release from its President Isha Johansen condemned the attack on Victor Lewis and called on the police to join the national football body in the investigation. The statement made no reference to the nomination problem. Friday 8th January 2021 was the closing date for nomination entries for the 27th February2021 SLFA elective congress.
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