By Paul Nicholson
August 4 – Liberia’s national team coaches have been unpaid for eight months, while its women’s football co-ordinator has not been paid for a year. This is despite FIFA having sent Liberia millions in grant money and FIFA having been repeatedly asked to conduct a forensic audit into the activities of controversial Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured) and the distribution of FIFA cash.
Bility, a powerful supporter of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and new African confederation president Ahmad Ahmad, has repeatedly boasted he is untouchable in Liberia. Politically Bility is well connected within Liberia’s current structure, while in football he maintains he has the protection of Infantino.
His issues lie with his own stakeholders, many of who are physically afraid of him and his power in Liberia, a country that is no stranger to political violence.
FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura has been sent another letter from Rochell Woodson, a former Liberian FA executive committee member and who has served on FIFA’s women’s committees, pleading for her intervention.
Like many issues in African football, FIFA have steadfastly refused to acknowledge there is a problem, implicity backing what stakeholders in Liberia are saying is the corrupt regime of intimidation and financial misappropriation run by Bility.
In her latest letter dated August 1, Woodson says: “Currently the Liberia FA owes an indebtedness of 8 months in salaries to coaches of the various national teams in Liberia; and also 12 months’ salary owed to the Women Football Desk Officer Ms Aletha Marnie Brown.”
Brown is a former Liberian player who Woodson says has continued to turn up to work five days a week and even attended a meeting with FIFA representatives, being introduced as the LFA Women Football Desk Officer.
Explaining that jobs in Liberia are hard to get, she asks FIFA to intervene to pay the wages of the LFA employees who she says “are afraid to speak out due to the threat that they will lose their jobs – knowing fully that finding a job in Liberia is very difficult.”
Woodson points out in her letter to Samoura the economic reality of Liberia and the abuse that the LFA is conducting.
“Madam, it is worth noting that an average Liberian lives on less than 1.25USD a day. The exchange rate in Liberia is 1USD to 120LD, with sky rocketing prices on commodities. These frontliners of Liberian football…are working tirelessly for the Liberian Football Association, but are deprived of their just salaries, entitlements, indemnities and other emoluments. It is totally unfair for these men and women to use their own cash to serve the FA, whilst the leadership callously feasts on monies meant for football development in Liberia.
“These people are in need of their just earnings, which they have been denied by the LFA. With 80% of Liberians living in abject poverty and the living standards are so low, it is just but prudent that a labourer gets his just wages. It’s very humiliating and frustrating for these people who make the utmost sacrifices to ensure that the LFA goals and objectives are met, to be treated in this inhumane and undignified manner.”
See related stories:
Bility faces renewed corruption allegations but FIFA still remains silent
Exclusive: Call for forensic audit of Liberian FA accounts exposes Infantino ally Bility
Bility admits on radio to taking the $50,000 Ebola awareness cash sent by FIFA to the LFA
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