National Sports

Sulom doesn’t follow constitution—Twalibu

Charles Twalibu has spilled the beans over his shock resignation as Super League of Malawi (Sulom) vice-president, saying he did so as a matter of principle against fundamental governance flaws.

In an exclusive interview on Monday, Twalibu said he warned the Innocent Bottomani-led Sulom as early as December that he would quit if the Sulom inner circle continued to take precedence over respect for the constitution.

“I have no hard feelings. I communicated to the president about my resignation and I was surprised that the matter was leaked to the media before they responded to me. I wanted them to critically look at the reasons for my resignation. I also wanted to communicate first to the clubs,” said Twalibu.

He said he first differed with Bottomani and his camp comprising general secretary Williams Banda on the choice of delegates to FAM elections where ordinary executive members were sent at the expense of well-versed senior members.

Those left out of the Salima polls, Twalibu said, included himself as he was suspected to belong to FAM president Walter Nyamilandu camp. The Bottomani camp was believed to have aligned itself with losing presidential candidate Henry Chibowa.

The former Escom United boss, who said he was in a dilemma on whom to give his resignation letter in the absence of the board comprising electorates, called for Sulom constitutional review, lest there be continued governance violations.

“Sulom is being run on emergency meetings instead of scheduled meetings, say quarterly, to review performance. We are supposed to have an annual general meeting (AGM). I have been raising this issue with no responses,” he claimed.

“Sub-committees’ recommendations are released straight to the media without the executive’s second opinion. Sulom is operating with impunity. We need a board to provide checks and balances. Club chairpersons could rotate positions in the board.”

Twalibu said he made enemies in Sulom for being against the executive committee deciding figures of its allowances and worse still, some officials on trips fully sponsored by Sulom, further claiming allowances.

“I am used to the practice where your allowances will be allocated by some officers. I felt that would be against my integrity and good corporate governance. I was against tendencies by some officers of claiming allowances for ghost panels,” he claimed.

In reaction yesterday, Bottomani dismissed Twalibu’s claims, arguing that he had all the time to raise such matters while in office. Bottomani claimed to have not received any communication from Twalibu raising the matters for the resignation.

“For the good of football, I do not want to be seen fighting the former vice-president. I do not want to create an impression that there is infighting in Sulom, when it is just one man. The office of Sulom presidency comprises the president and the deputy; hence, he was part of the Sulom presidency. By the way, what was supposed to start, raising these issues and resigning?” said Bottomani.

FAST FACTS

—Twalibu was elected to replace Dr McDonald Mafuta-Mwale.

—He has been in office for over a year.

—Once served as Escom chairperson.

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