-Liberian Opposition Football Stakeholders Tell Raji
By Thomas Kojo Roulhac
The opposition collaborating Football stakeholders (CFS) have urged President Mustapha Raji to lead with respect or get out of the way of Liberia’s football progress.
Their statement was in reaction to the Liberia Football Association President’s recent aggressive utterances and lazy stereotyping directed at critical stakeholders of the country’s number one sport. Last Tuesday, July 2, 2024 Media engagement, the under-pressure LFA boss accused stakeholders of being unrealistic to the revamping and progress currently at the football house.
“Many of them claim to be football stakeholders but they do not know anything about the running of football” Raji alleged.
Reacting to Raji’s statement in a press release issued over the weekend in Monrovia, Mr Chris Geeply Weah, one of the frontrunners of the collaboration said the LFA president’s remarks were not only un-presidential but also detrimental to the future of football in the country. He believes such behavior undermines the progress stakeholders have made and sets a poor example for athletes and supporters of the sport.
“The president’s comments cast a shadow over our efforts to develop the sport and inspire the next generation of players. Football in Liberia deserves leadership that is both visionary and respectful” he explained. Speaking about the issue of conflict of interest involving Raji and his personal driver, Weah said it is a sad day for football in Liberia.
Raji at last week’s media engagement confirmed that his driver is the owner of a garage where LFA cars are taken for repair but he quickly backed up that it is not a conflict of interest despite the driver working for the football house.
It can be recalled in 2022, LFA discontinued a contract with North Guide Security Service owned by its Vice President for Operations Adolphus Dolo based on a conflict of interest.
The Stages Queen CEO who entered into a collaboration a few weeks ago with FC Fassell bank-roller Cassell Anthony Kuohsaid the contract is a clear conflict of interest and he wants Executive Committee Members to revisit the contract to do the right things for football development in the country.
In closing, the Liberian businessman said he and CassellAnthony Kuoh and like-minded football stakeholders are committed to changing the face of football in the country.
“We are committed to improving our football and taking it to another level internationally,” he said.
For his part making a brief statement on the phone with our reporter, Cassell Kuoh described Raji’s statement as reckless and count-productive to hard-working stakeholders who are doing their best to help improve football with their respective clubs.
Kuoh emphasized that Raji should avoid childish play and contemplate the development of football. “Stop the cat and rat play and let’s run football” he cautioned Raji in his closing statement.
