NSC Clarifies Cause for Setting Up Sports Tribunal

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Sulayman Bah

29 April 2011

National Sports Council has clarified that the reason for the establishment of the sports tribunal has gone past the GNOC saga, after many questioned the motive under which the seven-member panel was set up.

The panel, under the chairmanship of the Honourable Justice Lamin Jobarteh, was instituted shortly after the ‘controversial’ GNOC presidential election which saw Alhagie Momodou Dibba ushered in as president of the Olympic body.

Abdoulie-Baks Touray presidential candidate worked out with his entourage claiming ‘constitutional crises on Election Day, while voting went on in his absence.

Days after the election, the National Sports Council established a seven-member tribunal to look into the affair of the alleged impasse after a National Assembly Select committee made a decision on the issue.

But in a conference held at the stadium boardroom on Wednesday mid- noon, Abdul Aziz Titao Mendy NSC Development officer, leaped to the defense of the tribunal, saying, the cause for setting up the sports panel surpasses the GNOC saga.

“The reason for the establishment of the sports tribunal is not only for the GNOC thing but is beyond that. In case there is another serious sports problem, the committee will try to settle it. Just like the way the way the GFA established a disciplinary committee to look into the case for the Zonal final controversy [in 2009 between SK East and Bakau]” Titao said while answering questions at the conference.

The tribunal, according to Mendy, has no term limit.

International Olympic Committee has however endorsed the election of Momodou Dibba as president of the Gambia National Olympic Committee.

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