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Home / Rukoro’s contract will not be renewed - Mbidi…as NFA president eyes another term
Rukoro’s contract will not be renewed - Mbidi…as NFA president eyes another term
2018-02-06Staff Report 2 Carlos Kambaekwa and Otniel Hembapu Windhoek-Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Frans Mbidi yesterday disclosed that the employment contract of NFA secretary-general Barry Rukoro will not be renewed once it comes full circle end of next month. In a brief interview with New Era Sport, Mbidi who touched on a range of issues around of the affairs of the association made it no secret that in his capacity as president of the NFA, he intends not to renew Rukoro’s contract. “It’s true, his (Rukoro) employment contract comes to an end in March and we are definitely going to look for a replacement,” confirmed Mbidi, without giving out much more detail. In the same interview, Mbidi further affirmed his seemingly unquenchable ambition to have his term in office prolonged as he plans to gun for another term as NFA president - further asserting rumours that in order to fulfill his plans of prolonging his stay at the helm of NFA, he intends to first get rid of Rukoro and then amend the constitution so that it accords him another term. “There’s no need to amend the constitution because the NFA statutes are very clear that the president can be elected for consecutive terms,” shot Mbidi. The northern businessman took over the reins from former president John Muinjo in 2014 after he easily brushed aside some unwanted attention from fellow presidential candidate Ranga Haikali. Mbidi’s first term as NFA president comes to an end in September this year at the NFA Elective Congress, where heads are expected to roll with a few positions up for grabs. Before becoming president in 2014, Mbidi already served one term as an NFA executive member and as per the NFA constitution, one can only serve for two terms in NFA executive structures – meaning Mbidi has served one term as an executive member and another one as NFA president, which ends in September. Sources yesterday revealed to New Era Sport that Mbidi has been burning the midnight oil lobbying behind the scenes to have his lodging at Football House prolonged by amending the NFA constitution as well as getting rid of Rukoro, who he feels is his biggest stumbling block heading to congress later his year. One reliable source appeared shocked to learn that Mbidi solely chose to pronounce himself on the NFA’s internal contractual agreements, specifically about his intentions of not renewing Rukoro’s contract, as he has no powers to exclusively make such a decision. “I’m totally surprised because as president, Mbidi should know that he does not have the power to terminate or not renew the SG’s contract because that process is done with the full blessing of the entire NFA executive committee. “The president can only bring up the issue to the executive and the executive members will then look into it and decide the way forward. It’s not the first time he (Mbidi) is trying to pull such a move; we told him back then to follow procedures and the constitution. But I guess maybe he does not understand how things work. He just has no such powers at all.” Another NFA insider said it was high time for Mbidi to come out and tell the nation what his problem with Rukoro is, because he is apparently creating a cloud of confusion within the NFA. “We feel that maybe he is worried by the amount of influence Rukoro has within the NFA setup and that influence might perhaps block his move to run for another term. “He (Mbidi) appears very desperate at times. I mean, who fires his SG six months to an important congress? Where have you seen that? But I fear that move (solely deciding not to renew Rukoro’s contract) will backfire again because Mbidi is trying to bypass the executive committee, which holds all the powers to keep or release Rukoro. Mbidi is not the association’s sole appointing authority, hence we are shocked to hear his proclamation,” added the insider. It’s widely argued that Rukoro enjoys massive support amongst football’s top guns and Mbidi could find himself between a rock and a hard place in his effort to dislodge the influential SG. 2018-02-06Staff Report 2
