In a strong reaction to his disqualification as Candidate for GFF Presidency by the Normalization Committee, former GFA President Seedy Kinteh has rubbished the committee’s actions describing it as “Bogus, Erroneous and Misleading”. Mr. Kinteh. In a press statement emailed to the Press Kinteh dismissed his disqualification as baseless and without merit. He along with Mustapha Kebbeh also former GFF President are allegedly involved in bribery scandal involving Qatari bit for 2018 World CuP and Gambia’s alleged cheating for playing over age players respectively. Both Kinteh and Kebbeh are young dynamic football enthusiast who were freely elected as Presidents. However both were allegedly involved in scandals which led to their disqualifications for the 2014 GFF elections.. Below is Kinteh’s strongly worded Statement…..
In the run up to the 2014 Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Presidential Election, I filed in my nomination for candidature to the office of President.The Normalisation Committee of the GFF vetted my nomination, and eventually said it has disqualified my candidature due to reasons they said have to do with my involvement in the alleged receiving of money from the Qatari Muhammed Bin Hammam.
I want to categorically state that the reasons for nullifying my candidature to the office of GFF President are bogus, erroneous and misleading.
Let me begin by saying that my relationship with Muhammed Bin Hammam started back in 2001, when I was serving as the second vice president of the Gambia Football Association, during a CAF General Assembly meeting. We knew each other as colleagues and friends, and have been exchanging ideas and meeting at FIFA and CAF forums for the development of our respective countries with the FIFA development officer in our region.
Having known him for his visionary ideas in football, hence his position as chairman of the FIFA Goal Project, since 2005 when I first became the President of GFA, Gambia benefited a lot from FIFA Goal Projects through his approval as the chairman of the FIFA Goal Project e.g. the new two-storey building GFA Football House and two new artificial turfs at Brikama and Yundum respectively.
In 2002, he awarded The Gambia to build a National Training Centre at Yundum, and there are four blocks at that center named after President Dr. Prof. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Nasirudeen Babili Mansa; the second block was named after Sepp Blatter; the third block was named after Bin Hammam and the fourth block was named after the Gambia Football Association’s live honorary President Alh. O.B. Conateh.
Having known him for his visionary ideas in football, hence as the chairman of FIFA Goal Project, I personally invited him to The Gambia to attend the West African Football Union (WAFU) General Assembly hosted at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, which also included 14 out of 16 West African Football Associations which was opened by the former Minister of Youth & Sports Honourable Sheriff Gomez.
Others in attendance were the former WAFU Vice President and Honorary President of GFA Alhagie Ousman B. Conateh and members of the football fraternity. During his visit in The Gambia, Muhammed Bin Hammam, the Office of The President provided a vehicle and security for him and his entire delegation.
Let me further tell you that I am not an Executive Member of FIFA to have any voting right, which could have had any influence on receiving money from Muhammed Bin Hammam in exchange for favours, as wrongly interpreted by the GFF Normalization Committee, for the Qatar World Cup bid.
My personal relationship with Muhammed Bin Hammam is still very strong, as we often speak to each other up to date. Let me reveal to you that Muhammed Bin Hammam had personally invited me on several occasions to Qatar and Doha, the last one was when he invited me to spend the Tobaski (Eid-U-Adha) with him and his family (see the photo taken on the day of the Tobaski at Muhammed Bin Hammam’s residence in Doha), and that has further cemented our relationship.
I have never received any money from Muhammed Bin Hammam for the influence of voting in his favour. The Qatari man has always been my personal friend, and any time I need his support I always send him a request to assist me personally, and will never hesitate to assist when the need arises.
I must express my dismay and disappointment with the Committee Members of the GFF Normalisation Committee, for addressing my disqualification on the wrong and erroneous belief that money has been given to me in exchange for FIFA votes, which has been one of their reasons for turning down my nomination for the position of GFF President.
I guess this clarification will once again set the records right to the Normalization Committee, football stakeholders and the general public. I will never betray Muhammed Bin Hammam for his support to the FIFA Goal Project in The Gambia has shown that there is a good relationship between The Gambia and Qatar. Seedy Kinteh
Many Gambians believe that The Gambia Football Federation is the only Democratic Pillar left of Gambia but it appears to be heading to the same formal process of elections as seen nationally and across the country instead of the real democracy manifested by elections. The GFF has democratically elected in what is embraced as free and fair elections for its officials in the last few electoral cycles. Candidates were free to speak their minds and demonstrated maturity by respecting their opponents in the race. In some instances candidates openly embraced the candidacy of their opponents and condemned the disqualification of other candidates.
During the last elections when Mustapha Kebbeh and Modou Moussa contested the Presidency, Mr. Moussa in a very classic act graciously accepted defeat, congratulated his opponent and offered his services to the then elected President Kebbeh. In return, Kebbeh reached out to all and urged the contending parties to forget their differences and work to strengthen Gambian football – something we have not seen of recent even at the National Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Unfortunately, Kebbeh’s Presidency was cut short after Gambia was caught cheating in playing over age players. This was a system and culture that Kebbeh and others inherited in Gambia’s football culture. We have seen again current candidates contesting for the seat of President condemning the disqualification of their counterparts with the exception of Kaba Bajo who many people believe is being implanted as an APRC backed candidate.
Many people wish that Gambia as a Nation would follow the footsteps of the GFF elections and democratic process where candidates will freely express their opinions and be accorded the respect they deserve. This is almost a foregone conclusion if Mr. Bajo is to be elected as President of the GFF. Many believe that the government will meddle with the affairs of the football federation if partisan politics is encouraged in its ranks. The burden of proof and and the survival of the GFF as an independent body will rest squarely on the hands of the current Youths and Sports Minister Alieu K Jammeh. Many people who know Alieu well are not confident that he can stand and defend the independence of the Football Federal. He is well known to be a puppet of higher authority dating back to his days as head boy at Armitage High School. Alieu mostly talk tough, act tough but he is mostly a yes sir boy who goes with whatever the administration prescribe for him… Such people with that kind of timid mindset can only oversee the demise of independent institutions in Gambia. The GFF elections are slated for September 20th, 2014.