Sang Mendy
The financial report of the Gambia Football Federation presented before delegates at the 2015 annual general meeting has shown that over three million dalasi was spent on travel allowances and executive meetings within the year under review, an amount twice more than what was budgeted for.
Overall, D3, 236, 388. 93 was spent on both travel allowances and on executive meetings. This amount is thrice more than what was spent on regional and women football development for the year under review.
Serving and want-to-be sports administrators in The Gambia are usually hoodwinking the general public that they spend more money than they gain on the sport they serve or represent. Such claims arise mostly when people who parade themselves as candidates are being scrutinized and or put under pressure for poor or maladministration.
In recent times, officials of The Gambia’s most popular sports and their supporters, go chanting, howling and rumbling over the need to assume a certain position. Olympic Committee, Football and Athletics lead the way in such power struggle, unnecessary wrangling and throwing degrading remarks on each other.
If voluntary work in sports is really voluntary, why would elderly persons stomach insults just in the name of serving people? Isn’t it because of the fat bonuses, allowance and per diems they pay themselves and or get when they travel oversea for conferences and or with the national teams?
Allowances over voluntarism
What emerged from the Gambia Football Federation Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 was a clear indication that the voluntary service these officials claimed are tied to expectations of fat bonuses, allowances and per diems.
Gambian football administrators past and present and even people outside football know that the sport relies solely on the FIFA Financial Assistance Program; money meant for the development of the game, yet, over two million dalasi (D2, 525, 023.93) was spent on the travel allowances of GFF officials to FIFA, CAF and other official functions, an amount that has doubled the initial D1, 200, 000.00 that was budgeted for.
Despite spending more than what was budgeted in 2015, the projected budget for travel allowances for 2016 is still pegged at D1, 200,000. 00 knowing that officials of the GFF might travel more than they did this year hence the national team will travel twice and the U-17and U-20 might also travel more than twice depending on how well they performed in the qualifiers. Adding to the various travels of the national teams, officials of the GFF might even travel more than five times in the 2016 knowing that FIFA and CAF congresses are looming.
Exco Meetings (once every month)
Executive meetings of the GFF eat up close to a million dalasi (D711, 365.00) in the year under review contrary to the D400, 000.00 set aside for such. Despite spending more than what was budgeted in 2015, the projected amount put in place for 2016 executive meetings is again pegged at D400, 000.00.
Women and regional football
Persons interested in running football in The Gambia always use women and regional football associations to win vote. During this period, they always pledge to promote the two associations to the core. But looking at what was spent on women football development and regional football is no where close to what administrators spent in sum total. For the year under review, over two million dalasi (D2, 811, 212. 45) was dedicated for women football while over (D1, 200, 000. 00) for regional bodies; North Bank Region, Central River Region, Lower River Region and Upper River Region. On the other hand D350, 000. 00 was was spent on Kanifing Municipal Council, Banjul and West Coast Region football associations).
However, only D741, 000. 00 was spent on the regional football associations the draft report presented at the AGM stated. D300, 000. 00 was spent on Banjul, KMC and WCR while D441, 000. 00 was spent on the four provincial regions, NBR, CRR, LRR and URR.
Estimate budget for 2016
Meanwhile, an estimated D73, 010, 000. 00 is set aside by the GFF for the fiscal year 2016 from which 55, 931, 000. 00 might be spent on implementation of programmes and activities of the GFF.
Of the above budget, D52M that is set aside for the various national teams is expected to come from the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the report captured.
After the AGM, Lamin Kaba Bajo applauded the observations made during the deliberations. He told journalists that delegates have recommended to the executive to cut down the number of travels and meetings so as to spend the money judiciously. He added that some delegates argued that part of those monies could be spent to develop the game especially in the regions.