My Prediction of the Rise & Fall of Tombi-led FECAFOOT in 2015

Title: FECAFOOT Ping-Pong Dance: The Boring Drama of Cameroon Football

(EDITORIAL)

November 19, 2015 

The Conciliatory Chamber of Arbitration of the national Olympic committee of Cameroon (CCA) has ruled out the last Cameroon Football Federation, Fecafoot, elections which saw Tombi A Roko emerge president. The man, Abdouraman Amadou Baba, who has lately been described as a staunch perfectionist, had stood his grounds to reverse happenings, arguing that the electoral process was faulty and illegal.

Before the September 28 elections, much had been said and done especially by the Joseph Owona-led normalization committee.

A committee whose errors seem to surpass their good deeds even after its mandate was extended thrice by Fifa; Fifa whom some Cameroonians say also share blame in the frog dance at Tsinga-Yaoundé.

Considering the multiple warnings handed Cameroon by Fifa, it could be termed the handiwork of the devil or a joke in bad taste. But, Abdouraman the president of Etoile Filante FC of Garoua and his cohorts including Essomba Eyenga, Antoine Bell, Brigitte Mebande, and Emmanuel Loga have succeeded to tell Cameroonians and the World that something actually went wrong in the electoral process. 

Not only that, but have also told the government of Cameroon that the consensus struck should not have favoured only Alioum Aladji who was made first vice president of FECAFOOT.

Having recognized the National Olympic Committee of Cameroon, and as the republican he has told the World he is, Tombi A Roko is expected to quit his office without any hesitation so that the rule of law prevails. Though 21 days have been given the Tombi-led executive to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), legal mind Nkongho Felix Agbor thinks that they have no case to present.

The afore-mentioned advocate while citing the CCA’s annulations decision argues that no election took place. In this vein, no-one is head of Cameroon’s football federation. To him, only a general assembly is supposed to take charge hence. In this case, the general assembly of 2009 headed by John Begheni Ndeh owing to Iya Mohammed’s incarceration is due to take over. 

In another episode, the government of Cameroon may go into an entente with Fifa in order to neutralize anti-FECAFOOT election forces to strike a middle ground. After all it is said, “Impossible n’est pas Camerounais”.

The normalization committee has now proven to the World crystal clear that their own disease is macro while that of the federation they were commissioned to cure is micro. It beats the imagination of Cameroonians that such a core of legal practitioners could not fix the spoils from a legal perspective. Three times their mandate was extended. In total, they worked for 26 months claiming to have spent 700 million francs to organize the elections that are today ridiculed in the strongest of terms. Their deeds can be summarized into the French proverb which says, “Le chien aboie, et la caravane passe”.

At this juncture, the Prime Minister and Head of Government may have to step in again for what has always poured more salt to the injury. The new minister has opened his own chapter having released a communiqué Wednesday, canceling CCA’s decision to annul FECAFOOT elections. 

Meanwhile, Minister Bidoung Mkpat says the CCA was operating out of its area of competence, John Begheni Ndeh and co are notifying FIFA, CAF, and other FECAFOOT partners to stop all monetary transactions with FECAFOOT till further notice. Barrister Nkongho has just said the minister’s action is unwelcomed administrative interference.

Cameroonians have known little or no football happiness in this whole drama of avarice. They have waited and waited for lasting solutions. 

No matter the ping-pong game, what goes up must come down. Let us wait to see characters and the story of the next episode.

Isifu Wirfengla