According to the new executive under the leadership of Gheran Senghore, Mr. Jallow, who is the secretary general of The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) under the name of GBA is still withholding the association’s bank account even after resigning from the association in 2019.
The executive of The Gambia Basketball Association were speaking in a press conference held on Sunday in Kanifing when they made the claims.
“We called this press conference as a matter of urgency and finding a way in which we could seek help in bringing this obstacle to conclusion,” said Gheran Senghore, president of The Gambia Basketball Association.
He further said that since they came into office after the voluntary resignation of former executive members (including Abdoulie Jallow, the former SG), they always revert to them for help, support and advice where it is needed.
“Since November 2019 to date, the Gambia Basketball Association does not have access to its bank account with Trust Bank Gambia Limited, which was the only document given to us. It has funds but we were only given a cheque book without signatures to the account being transferred to us.”
Mr. Senghore revealed that from November 2019 to date, they have been struggling to get that transfer, noting that every member of the former executive who was a signatory to the account has transferred their signatures except Abdoulie Jallow, who is the current secretary general of The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC).
“He until today continues to sit on international positions in the name of the GBA. There is no financial transparency as to what preceded us. As GBA SG, Mr. Jallow has single handedly engaged in actions that did not reflect the code of conduct of GNOC,” he further said.
“Shortly after we came into office in January 2020, we walked into the GNOC asking them to make our election and new executive known to the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA). That letter never left the office of Mr. Jallow (the GNOC secretary general).”
“We made many follow ups with FIBA until May- June 2020 when we got a letter from FIBA Africa telling us that the current executive of the GBA is not recognised by FIBA Africa. We immediately responded by sending a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Council and Gambia National Olympic Committee disputing the letter from FIBA Africa.”
FIBA Africa does not have any power to recognise associations or executives. That is the job of FIBA international. We disputed their letter and sent it back to them.
According to him, they are not at war with Mr. Jallow but instead just want what is right to be done. He added that they are still finding it difficult to send athletes to participate in international basketball tournaments.
“If this problem is not solved right now, we will continue having issues with sending players for international competition.”
Ndongo Camara, 1st vice president of GBA, said their main concern is the athletes, whom they promised with a lot of developments, adding that they wanted to help the athletes to be competing internationally.
“Our biggest concern is the interference of one the former executive member Aboulie Jallow, who is said to be working with FIBA Africa, who said they do not recognise the new executive of the basketball association.”
