MONROVIA, Montserrado – On Thursday, June 14, staff of the Liberia Football Association were stopped from entering the organization’s office after the owner of the rented facility demanded that rent be paid before the LFA could carry on any operations.

The head office of the LFA, located at the corner of Newport and Benson Streets in Central Monrovia, has been the home of the football house since its relocation from the Antoinette Tubman Stadium at the beginning of Musa Bility’s administration in 2011.

The secretary general of the LFA, Emmanuel O. Deah, confirmed to The Bush Chicken that the report of staff being prevented from entering the building was true; however, he said that the issue had been temporarily settled and LFA staff were again being allowed to work.

Deah admitted that the LFA owes the building owners arrears in rent, but he said matters would be settled when the president of the LFA, Bility, returns from Moscow over the weekend.

“Yea, it is true that some staff were stopped by the security from entering the building. Fortunately, we were able to settle issues and work continued,” he told The Bush Chicken. “We couldn’t have paid the money but made them understand we have just gotten a new administration and they aren’t here. We told them that the president is in Russia and will be here this week when we shall settle things.”

The news came as another embarrassing update for the LFA, which is already facing several issues. The organization has not operated league football for at least nine months now. Additionally, the results of the recent elections were halted due to an injunction from the court.

The injunction from the court prevented a presidential runoff between former vice president for administration, Musa Shannon, and LISCR Football Club’s president, Mustapha Raji. With LFA yet to elect its president, Bility whose term has expired, has continued to serve as president until the stakeholders vote for a new leader.

Bility, along with the newly elected vice president for administration, Sekou Konneh had traveled to Russia to attend the 68^th FIFA congress that was held in Moscow.

Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.