MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC) continues to operate in the dark, as another Elective Congress took place at the weekend in what many are describing as secret gathering at the home of Mr. Philipbert Browne on Marshall Road in Lower Margibi County.
Besides the Liberian media not being in the know of an LNOC Elective Congress, many stakeholders of the LNOC were not aware of the meeting which gave Mr. Philipbert Browne and his Lieutenants another four-year mandate to stir the affairs of the local Olympic Committee.
Mr. Browne took over from the then Interim President, Madam Debora Williams, as President of the LNOC in April 2005, after leaving the Liberia Basketball Association Presidency.
Since then, no one has challenged Mr. Browne and survived at the level of the LNOC Executive Committee.
Some stakeholders of the LNOC said the Elective Congresses organized by Mr. Browne are always in violations of the laws of the organization, as such, he normally choses to conduct them in secrets.
The Liberian Sporting Press were not aware of the election, until one of the LNOC Vice Presidents, Malcolm Joseph, who was reportedly re-elected alongside others at the Saturday Congress, announced at the LFA 26th Congress that he was seeking the Liberia Football Association’s vote at the LNOC Elective Congress, which was taking place on the same day on the Marshall Road in Margibi County.
“The LNOC Statute calls for the setting up of an elections commission, which will come up with guidelines for the conduct of the election, but this is not seen in many of the elections held at the LNOC” said Moifee Kanneh of the Liberia Volleyball Federation.
It is not clear who attended the congress on Saturday, March 6, 2021, as there are reports that several delegates did not show up as Mr. Browne was elected once again unopposed, as were the rest of the candidates elected.
Journalists are still struggling to get the names of those who attended the LNOC Elective Congress and those elected in various positions.
The various heads of Olympic Sporting Federations in Liberia (about 29) made up the membership of the Liberia National Olympics.
A source at the Congress told reporters that the Liberia Basketball Association and the Liberia Volleyball Federation were not represented by their legitimate Leaders, or those leaders recognized by the international bodies.
There were no Rufus Anderson and Moifee Kanneh at the Congress, as fuss between them and the LNOC President persists.
All the serious critics of Mr. Browne at the LNOC have either faced suspension or expulsion by the Executive Committee.
Moifee Kanneh, who was elected President of the Liberia Volleyball Federation in 2018 and the founding President of the Liberian National Handball Association Mason Saweler, as well as Basketball President Rufus Anderson, have all faced the wrath of Mr. Browne and his controlled Executive Committee.
Moifee Kanneh said:” Mr. Browne has to keep the Congress secret, because I Kanneh, would have issued a writ against the conduct of the Elective Congress.”
By: Kolubah Zayzay
