GHA secretary general accuses NSC of ‘eating’ association’s money

Haruna Cham, secretary general of the Gambia Handball Association (GHA), has accused the National Sports Council (NSC) of eating the association’s money, saying: “Give us our money, enough is enough.”

Cham, who was speaking to Pointsport in an interview at the Independence Stadium in Bakau yesterday, acted furiously over what he described as unfair, saying: “When I and my fellow executive members came into office in 2009, we were made to understand that a total amount of D70, 000 was at the National Sports Council’s disposal given to the GHA by the International Handball Federation.

“When we claimed for the money from the council, we were told it would be provided to the association as soon as possible but after series of similar attempts to recover the money from previous executive directors, namely Alieu Cham, Besenty Gomez and Momodou Max Jallow of recent, nothing has so far been done.”

He added: “It was until the tenure in office of Abdul Aziz Titao Mendy that we were only able to receive D8, 570 and the remaining money is yet to be paid.”

Cham, who could not hide his disappointment for what he referred to as unfair treatment they had continued to receive from the sports council over the non-payment of the association’s money, has sent a strong warning to the authorities at the council, saying, “Enough is enough.”

“We want our money as soon as possible; otherwise the Association will take a legal action against the National Sports Council and my boys are ready for it,” Cham stressed.

The saga surrounding the said money became the subject of public debate within the sports fraternity when the issue came hot on the heels of a life threatening bus accident involving members of the GHA whose vehicle had an accident on their way back from an international handball tournament in Bamako, Mali, two years ago.

Authorities at the helm of the handball game affairs could confirm the money was intended for that Mali trip but to the surprise of the NSC, it was “mismanaged” by the former executive, which led to the dissolution of the executive and their end of term of office in 2009.

Reacting to the story surrounding the money, Momodou Max Jallow, executive secretary of the NSC, made it categorically clear to this reporter that as far as he knows, his office “is putting all the necessary measures in place to ensure every butut is recovered” and given to the handball association.