Actualités of Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Source: Cameroon Tribune

Close Aides Abandon Iya Mohammed

Some five executive members have dissociated themselves from the president's stance.

Fissures are beginning to appear on the solid block hitherto manifested behind the longest serving President of FECAFOOT, Iya Mohammed as dissenting voices are beginning to emerge even from his own camp. Some six executive members have distanced themselves from the president in the present stand-off with the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education. Like Jesus Christ who was abandoned by Simon Peter on the eve of his crucifixion, some six executive members of FECAFOOT namely; John Begheni Ndeh, Essomba, Eyenga, Alioum Alhadji Hamadou, David Mayebi, Pierre Semengue and Nguele Nguele Felix has dissociated from the effrontery of the federation and expressed support for the Minister of Sports and Physical Education. In a letter to the FIFA Secretary General, copied to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, CAF President Issa Hayatou and the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, the dissenters say the present course of action of the FECAFOOT president is likely to disturb public order in Cameroon and a moral caution to the electoral malpractices of the leadership of the federation. They therefore called for dialogue with government so as to preserve the unity of the football family in Cameroon.

But for any last minute change of hearts, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, will today begin consultations with all the actors of football to establish consensus and transparency in the election of officials at the Cameroon Football Federation. The consultation is a logical follow-up to an earlier decision suspending the electoral process in the federation purportedly to carry out a broad-based consultation with all the actors of football especially after hitches erupted during the election exercise in the Littoral Region. The decision caused the age-old conflict between the Cameroon football federation and the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education to once more raise its ugly head. Like a child threatened outside who seeks refuge in the father, FECAFOOT reported the matter to FIFA who gave the government up to April 9th to hands off the affairs of the federation. The continuation of the consultation can therefore be seen as a defiance of the FIFA threat.

The Minister during the consultations will receive officials of the Professional League, the association of elite club presidents, the association of football coaches, the referees association, authorities of futsal and beach soccer, owners of football academies, animators of youth and feminine football, members of the National Technical Directorate and Electfoot, the National Olympic and Sports Committee and resource persons in football. He will also hold talks with the pro and anti Fecafoot associations, "Collectif Republicain pour la sauveguarde du football camerounais" and the Comité de Redressement du football camerounais" respectively. FECAFOOT will be received last so as to be able to present the proposals of the various actors to their appreciation and implementation