The National Sports Council (NSC) has heeded to a 24-hour ultimatum given to it by the National Assembly to retract and apologise to the National Assembly, following its press release challenging and protesting against the decision of the National Assembly on the highly anticipated GNOC election slated for 12 February.
The retraction and eventual apology came hot on the heels of the National Assembly’s decision to question and reprimand the minister of Youth and Sports, his permanent secretary and the executive secretary of the National Sports Council for their roles in the letter challenging the decision of the National Assembly Select Committee on Youth and Sports.
Sheriff Gomez, Alieu Jammeh and Abdou Aziz Titao Mendy, minister, permanent secretary and executive director of the NSC respectively, appeared before deputies on Tuesday following what members described as an out of order and out of place move under the instructions of the Minister of Youth and Sports to direct the executive director of the NSC to indicate that the decision of the National Assembly Select Committee should be “put aside”.
In a letter sent to this paper yesterday captioned “Withdrawal of Press Release”, the National Sports Council stated its apologies to the Speaker of the National Assembly and Members of the Select Committee on Youth and Sports.
“I wish to inform you that we are withdrawing our Press Release dated 21st January 2011 captioned National Sports Council Press Release on the GNOC Presidential Election".
“We sincerely apologize to the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly and Members of the National Assembly, particularly the Select Committee on Youth and Sports, for any inconvenience this Press Release might have caused your Honourable Office,” the NSC release stated.
The National Sports Council, it would be recalled, issued a press release at the weekend challenging the decision of the select committee, which among other issues called on all and sundry to take note that the select committee’s decision “is not final” and further advised the minister of Youth and Sports to set up a tribunal to resolve the matter regarding the GNOC presidential election.
