FIFA drowns in FECAFOOT mud

The World Football Governing body, FIFA has fallen in its own trap after its court of Arbitration for Sports ordered for the suspension of the elections of the members of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT.

Uncertainty still looms over any eventual election at the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT following the decision of canceling FECAFOOT General Assembly of 2013.

The decision was taken last February 19th by the Court of Arbitration for Sports which is an independent institution based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

This means that the valid statutes are those of 2009 as declared by Essomba Eyanga and co who filed the case indicating their legitimacy to Court of Arbitration for Sports.

Hence, from all indications, everything, including examination and adopted FECAFOOT texts and election into Divisional and Regional leagues ought to be redone again probably by the 2009 General Assembly.

Following the general assembly which elected the Iya Mohammed list, while he was in prison, Essomba Eyenga and co said they were the legitimate office holders with their first vice-president John Begehni Ndeh.

This brings FIFA into a big controversial situation as FIFA itself had validated the 2013 General Assembly that voted Iya Mohamed into power while in Jail.

During the problems and violence faced by FECAFOOT, during the elections, FIFA’s representatives who sat through the election said all went well and approved the elections.

According to a communiqué published on the website of the Court of Arbitration for Sports, it is explained that the institution has rejected all the two arbitration procedures filed on 30th October 2014 by FECAFOOT against Abdouraman Hamadou and Antoine Essomba Eyenga, at the Chamber of Conciliation and Arbitration of the National Olympic and Sport Committee of Cameroon.

FECAFOOT had appealed against a decision of the Chamber of Conciliation and Arbitration of the National Olympic and Sport Committee annulling the status and electoral code of FECAFOOT adopted on 23rd August 2014 by the General Assembly of 2013.

The Chamber’s verdict asking that the texts of FECAFOOT be revised brought to null the entire electoral process conducted after the validation of these texts in Divisions and Regions.

The Chamber quoted that Article 78, Section 2 and 3 of the new texts of FECAFOOT violated dispositions of Article 44 of Law N° 2011/018 of 15 July 2011 relating to the organization and promotion of physical and sport activities in Cameroon.

Reacting during a press briefing in Yaoundé to this decision that turned out to be a big blow on the Normalization Committee given that they had last week declared that only two candidates were eligible for election come February 25, its President, Joseph Owona said they are waiting on the International Football Governing Body, FIFA to step in.

If one interprets the decision well, that means that elections at FECAFOOT programmed for next February 25 is not supposed to take place any longer.

This new development poses another big challenge to the Normalization Committee of FECAFOOT headed by Joseph Owona, given that their extended mandate expires next February 28.

However a member of the Normalisation committee, who spoke to THE SUN Last Saturday in Limbe, said he was heading for Yaounde for a meeting. Though he did not say exactly what was at stake he noted that, their mandated may be extended.

Fecafoot’s problems are far from over and in the coming days there is bound to be another twist of events.