Crisis at SC Villa as officials fallout
Jan 15, 2015
A credible source at Sports Club Villa has intimated to us that top club officials have fallen out.
By Swalley Kenyi
A credible source at Sports Club Villa has intimated to us that top club officials have fallen out.
The president Ben Misagga, who bankrolls the club, his former vice president Dennis Mbidde, vice presidents Mohammed Bazirengedde (administration) and Meddy Nsereko (general duties) are reportedly not in harmony.
The officials at Uganda’s most successful club SC Villa are said to have fallen out after the club lost over sh470m in five months.
Indeed, the club’s full executive committee which met regularly before has not sat since last December. The officials have openly disagreed over their recent decision to shift Villa’s home ground from Ssaza Grounds in Mityana back to Nakivubo stadium.
Misagga reportedly got unhappy with his colleagues when the Villa secretariat realised that the over sh470m he allocated for player recruitments, salaries, to run the secretariat and mobilise fans for their league matches in Mityana among others issues, was mismanaged.
Former SC Villa vice president now fans’ coordinator Mbidde (relinquished club vice presidency for FUFA vice president) said that the disagreements are caused by ‘big man syndrome’ among the officials.
“Yes there is tension at the club. Fights at Villa are historical. We must take away the big man syndrome and know that the club belongs to fans,” Mbidde said.
SC Villa players and officials, who spoke to New Vision on grounds of anonymity, revealed that the club has reduced their salaries to ‘manageable’ amounts in order to keep their obligations. At the beginning of the season, Villa reportedly agreed to pay their players monthly salaries ranging between sh500000 to sh3m.
But towards the end of first round Villa players, who remain unpaid for some months now, threatened a sit down strike. A group of fans had to mobilise some money for the team to play and conclude the first round.
Although Mbidde acknowledged the division among the officials, he insisted that no money had been mismanaged at the club. He explained that the club only spent exorbitantly and quickly exhausted its budget.
When contacted, Misagga said, “I have no comments.”
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