Ex-Bullets boss faults move to appoint Exco
Immediate past Big Bullets FC chairperson Kondi Msungama has faulted a proposal by a section of the club’s trustees to consider appointing an executive committee as opposed to holding elections.
Bullets trustees secretary Jim Kalua last week told our sister paper Weekend Nation that the move is aimed at improving efficiency in management of the club.
But Msungama said adopting such a move would deny the club’s bona fide members their right to usher in people of their choice to run the club.
“As a long-time follower of the club, I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages because in essence you are taking away the powers from the millions of supporters as well as members.
“This trend of appointing people into positions should not be encouraged because they dance to the tune of those that put them there. You can be prone to abuse by those that appointed you,” said Msungama.
He also wondered why the suggestion is coming in the wake of the announcement that the team has secured a multi-million kwacha partnership with a cigarette manufacturing company—Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC).
“I think the problem is not with the system of electing people into positions, the problem comes in when other ‘forces’ want to control the operations of the team. My plea to the trustees and indeed other stakeholders is that they should not adopt such a system,” he said.
Kalua said if adopted, the move would see supporters committee and the trustees short listing people interested to be in the executive committee who would then undergo a screening process before being endorsed.
“It’s a proposal that, once adopted, will mark a turning point for Big Bullets,” Kalua said. “It will transform the way the club is run in terms of efficiency and transparency.”
He said unlike in elections, where a popular vote can put a person in power, appointments would require people with proper qualifications to run the club.
“When we talk about professionalism and commercialisation, this is the first step to take by making sure we have people who are qualified to run the club,” he said.
However, main supporters committee chairperson Stone Mwamadi called for caution when making such constitutional changes.
“The idea has its own advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that yes, we could appoint people who are efficient, but what can stop people from abusing this arrangement by appointing their friends or relatives in the positions?” Mwamadi wondered.
“Bullets belongs to the supporters who are registered with the club. The supporters elected the main executive committee, the supporters’ committee and the trustees as well.” n
