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By Our Correspondent

The Plateau State Football Association chairman, Mr Sunday Samson Longbap has described as “half truth, blatant lies and deliberate mischief” the purported vote of no confidence reportedly passed by a section of the states FA Board members.

Six out of eight Executive Committee members of the FA on Wednesday reportedly passed a vote of no confidence on the hard-working chairman after it emerged that the chairman refused to share the FA’s patrimony among them but rather used it for the development of the round leather game in the state.

Mr Longbag in a rebuttal made available to Best Choice Sports wondered how the few selfish, inordinate individuals would wake up in a day to tanish the great work he has achieved in the state and called on good people of Plateau State and Nigerians in general to discountenance the alleged, unwarranted “vote of no confidence”

Describing the “faceless” six members who could not disclose their names to the media as cowards and enemies of football in the state, the chairman further made clarifications on the state of affairs of the Plateau State FA:

RE: VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ON HON. SUNDAY SAMSON LONGBAP AS PLATEAU STATE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN*

My attention has been drawn to a purported circulation in the media by some board members. While it is not in my character to respond to all gatekeeping in the media, I have found it necessary to put the records straight because it is said that when a lie is told several times without it being challenged, it will be accepted as the truth. This is what informed my decision to educate the unsuspecting public which the so-called publication seek to mislead.

The so-called article in circulation is nothing but an embodiment of half truths, blatant lies and deliberate mischief by a group who are sensing inevitable defeat in the forthcoming Plateau State Football Association Elective Congress slated for 8th June, 2023

To simply set the records straight, I wish to state as follows:

(a) On the allegation of manipulating the electoral guidelines: It is an open secret that the electoral guidelines were directly lifted from PFA Statutes (2014). It should be noted that the 1st Vice Chairman, Mr Ezra Godit personally handled the printing contract of this statutes and personally distributed same to most congressmen in 2014. How could I have possibly manipulated a guideline that was produced nine years ago today? This is laughable because the same 1st Vice Chairman is alleging manipulation of the same statutes he (Mr Ezra Godit) personally handled the production.

I now find the wise saying valuable that “when the person talking is carried away, the listening audience is not carried away”. I challenge Mr Ezra Godit, the 1st Vice Chairman to deny that he wasn’t the one that handled the production of the PSFA Statuses 2014, from which the electoral guidelines were directly lifted.

(b) On the baseless accusation of changing the delegates list, I make bold to state that not only was the electoral college (delegates) determined by the statutes but that I have a handwritten draft copy of the electoral college (delegates) by the same 1st Vice Chairman Mr Ezra Godit and same was presented to and adopted by the Congress. Again, I challenge Mr Ezra Godit to deny that he didn’t use his hands to draft the list of delegates

May I humbly suggest that when you sense inevitable defeat, you accept defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship, that is what we are known for as sportsmen instead of exposing one’s desperation in public by circulating terrible lies

(c) On the misappropriation of Governor’s Cup Final Funds

Let me emphatically state without any ambiguity that all the board members were present in a meeting that drafted the budget for the Governor’s Cup Final with the exception of Alh Salisu Mohammed. The same meeting deliberated extensively and adopted a budget proposal of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only (2,500,000.00k). The sources of the money were to be from the Executive Chairman of Langtang North (1,000,000.00k) and Kanke LGC (1,500,000.00k)

However, only the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (#700,000.00k) was realized. Five Hundred Thousand Naira only (#500,000.00k) from Langtang North LGA Chairman and Two Hundred Thousand Naira only (#200,000.00k) from Kanke. Proudly, I wish to state that all board members were carried along in the expenditure of the ₦700,000 which was used for purchase of medals, printing of program of events booklets, production of Award plaques, servicing and fueling of vehicles, accommodation, daily traveling and feeding allowances of board members including some congress members and most importantly hosting of Annual General Meeting (AGM).

I challenge the board members to deny anything stated above and I will make available their debit alerts for the public to see. Ordinarily, one expects a pad on the back for organizing a Governor’s Cup final and hosting a State FA Annual General Meeting with only 700,000 at this time that things are expensive

(d) On the allegation of refusal to host meeting after the Constitution of ELCOM, any discerning mind will know that with the constitution of the Electoral Committee, electioneering activities by aspirants must have commenced in earnest therefore it is only necessary to allow aspirants to focus on campaigns and I am a candidate.

I wonder why board members who were present in series of meetings such as Board meeting on the 3/5/2023 and Annual General Meeting on the 19/5/2023 would suddenly be restless for a meeting at a crucial time like this.

Could it be an afterthought by a willing tool to deliberately frustrate me from going round the State to canvass for votes from delegates?

(e) On the kindergarten allegation that the Mr Mr Larry Gowon, being a Congress Man was elected as the Secretary of the Electoral Committee, I wish to state that it was the Congress that exercised its powers of nominating ELCOM as stated by the statue. Why this allegation is childish is because all the Board members who are crying foul today were not only present in the Congress but actively participated in the Congress and never raised any objections. Could this be another afterthought again by the board members who could be hell-bent on frustrating a smooth transition from our board to another board to be elected on the 8th June, 2023

(f) On the allegation of Insubordination and blatant disregard to NFF, I wish to state unequivocally that I have neither been queried by our parent body – Nigeria Football Federation nor summoned for any act of gross insubordination. I then wonder if there’s a new communication channel that I, as the Chairman of Plateau State Football Association, is unaware of for the board to have known that I am not submissive to NFF. Is this a divine revelation by the Almighty of an illegal communication without my consent?

In conclusion, it should be noted that only the Congress as contained in Article 7 of the PSFA STATUTES 2014 has the powers to suspend, admit or expel a member. Therefore, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Plateau State Football Stakeholders and the general public should disregard any petty publication and be informed that I, Sunday Samson Longbap remain the Chairman of Plateau State Football Association.