Some sources within the cricket family have accused some officials at the National Sports Authority (NSA) of allegedly supporting and protecting the certain wrongs of Francis Trevor Samura, Chairman of Cricket Sierra Leone.
Accusing fingers were pointed at Steven Keifala, Director of Participation and Sustainable Sports at the NSA, that he has been manipulating investigations, delaying recommendations, and obstructing justice to allegedly safeguard Samura’s interest.
Steven Keifala, was alleged to have forced his way into an investigation committee set up to investigate the wrongs of the Cricket chairman.
The Cricket Chairman is accused of allegedly breaching constuition , misappropriating of funds, although the quantum of funds were not mentione, lack of transparency, and that NSA officials have been ignoring those issues and protecting Samura from accountability.
Following the Investigative Committee’s report, which recommended the formation of a Supervisory Committee, Steven Keifala again maneuvered to become the Chairman of that Committee, but failed to fulfill even 15% of the recommendations. Critics believe that Keifala intentionally rendered the Committee ineffective to protect Samura (as usual).
These events transpired under the leadership of the former Executive Director of the NSA, Dr. Kenneth Brima. Some believe that the actions of these key NSA officials were supported by Dr. Brima, as he also allowed the plethora of issues brought to his notice, to continue unabated.
However, cricket stakeholders are hopeful that knowing who he is and what he stands for, the new Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, will bring integrity and transparency to the organization.
In the wake of these revelations, cricket stakeholders have expressed their profound disappointment with the conduct of officials, highlighting the lack of integrity and accountability in the governance of the sport.
Dr. Wilfred Bankole-Gibson, an elderly statesman and a prominent figure in cricket, lamented the deteriorating state of the game. He condemned the actions of the NSA officials who failed to fully implement the recommendations of the investigative committee.
Also, erstwhile Technical Director of Cricket in Sierra Leone, Mr Michael Ibrahim Kargbo, who is also the manager of the country’s oldest cricket club, Regents Olympic stated reasons why their team and a host of other Premier League Clubs (7 out of 11) have boycotted the league for three years now. Their reasons aren’t far from all the current decadence in cricket affairs in the country. He concluded that like the other Premier League Clubs, their team will not return to partake in cricket affairs, until sanity prevails.
Similarly, Abubakarr Bangura, Vice Chairman of the Old Edwardian Cricket Club, voiced his disappointment with the role played by officials at the NSA and the Ministry of Sports in perpetuating uncertainty and chaos within the cricket fraternity. Bangura emphasized the importance of upholding integrity and ensuring justice prevails, rather than enabling a culture of corruption and misconduct to thrive.
As the saga unfolds, the spotlight remains on the actions of the NSA officials who have been accused of supporting wrongdoing in Cricket Sierra Leone, raising serious questions about accountability, governance, and the future of the sport in the country.
Some cricket proponents at home and abroad lamented that the cricket family was like a clan that lived together as one, maintaining the spirit of the game, until the NSA and Francis Trevor Samura placed a knife among them; and now, cricket has fallen apart.
