The review of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) statutes has begun in earnest and the manoeuvres of the Federation’s executives are in full flow. A committee of non-legal minds is in place to coax the membership into accepting those amendments to the constitution that are designed to only benefit those seeking to retain power. Against the aforementioned, the membership is grouped in batches to help contain the fallout as the full details of the proposed amendments are read out to participants for the first time during consultation.
According to a source close to the process, “It is important to note that the supposed amendments to improve transparency and accountability were never sent to the members for feedback, but read out by the chair of the committee. Members are told FIFA recommended these changes, but the committee did not say where else in the football world these amendments are in use, especially the fundamental ones.”
This newspaper has learnt that out of the two days of consultations, only Buxton United FC (BUFC) had submitted proposals to amend the GFF constitution other than those proposed by the current administration in the name of FIFA.
In the BUFC document seen by Stabroek Sport, fundamental changes were proposed to the GFF constitution to strengthen oversight and accountability. Buxton United proposed that the GFF Constitution be amended at (Article 29, (2)) by inserting a new Article 29 (2) (g) which shall read, “Matters Arising from the Minutes”. It is appalling that in this modern time this is absent from the GFF rules, and the executives are comfortable with not accounting to members of congress under matters arising in the minutes. BUFC described this omission as a harmful precedent which is given life by the present GFF executives as no question is asked arising out of matters from the previous congress.
The second proposal from BUFC speaks to amending the GFF Constitution at (Article 31) by inserting a new sub section (3) which shall read, “All proposals by (Members of Congress or Members of the Executive) for amending the Constitution, Standing Orders of Congress, and Regulations, must be submitted to the Members of Congress in writing by the General Secretary two weeks before the date of any Congress”.
The club reported that the executive, without issuing any written notice of motion to the Members, presented amendments on the same day of the congress in 2019. This, the BUFC labelled as a travesty in football. The East Coast Demerara institution opined that this can be viewed as a deliberate act to present the general council as sleepwalking, adding that it is a fact that over 80 per cent of the members of congress never asked a question at congress in the last seven years.
BUFC’s third proposal spoke to the issue of having congress regain its role as the highest decision-making body in football. It proposed that Congress amend the GFF Constitution at (Article 82) by inserting (82 (2) which shall read, “The Executive Committee’s decision in all cases of force majeure on matters not provided for in this Constitution but affects holding of Congress, shall need the concurrence of Congress”. SN has learnt that the GFF in the quest to meet statutory timelines, allowed members who had flouted their constitutional obligation to vote at Congress. These members had not had audit financial statements or election for years but were given a free pass by those who wanted the GFF budget and audit report to be passed at congress.
“It is precedents like these as proposed to be addressed by BUFC that will entrench corruption in football” if not tackled, the source lamented.
