The time for casting stones is now gone

By Paul Waibale Senior Now that the tension- packed FUFA elections are securely tucked away in the shelves of history, what next? Admittedly, that is a million-dollar question for which there are more than a million possible answers. Some of the answers might be practical, some may be theoretical and attractive, some absurd and misconceived. The inexhaustible list will also include moderate answers within the orbit of implementation, others that might be radical and unattainable, and a host of other variations. But that cannot be a reason for not attempting to search for appropriate answers. I am, therefore, constrained to take the bull by the horns and hazard a go at the imperative hunt for the elusive answers to recuperate Uganda’s soccer glory. First, I wish to categorically state that in the salvage exercise envisaged, there is no room for rancor or recrimination. The undertones of personal bitterness (sometimes bordering on hatred) against eventually victorious Denis Obua which characterised the FUFA polls campaign have no place in the remedial exercise which has to be mounted. Given that situation, the opening of a new leaf by all and sundry —be it Obua and his executive, the defeated opponents and their supporters, club officials, soccer fans, and the Ministry of Education and Sports —is an absolute necessity. In that regard, there is one big consolation. The minister in charge of sports, Henry Okello Oryem, has demonstrated a determination to spearhead a concerted move into a brighter and more orderly future for Uganda soccer. The minister said in his post-FUFA polls statement that this is the time for offering Obua the cooperation and support he needs to emancipate Uganda soccer from the doldrums. He warned that attacking Obua at this moment will be counterproductive, and therefore dissipation of effort. I hope he was not preaching to deaf ears. It is also pertinent for FUFA to respond positively to the minister’s appeal for transparency and accountability. I would suggest that a quarterly magazine entitled “FUFA News” should be published to keep the public informed about FUFA’s activities and other relevant matters. Another significant aspect of the minister’s statement was his response to those who have been urging him to intervene, dismantle the FUFA outfit and thereby earn an inevitable ban by FIFA. His decision that those in that school of thought have to wait for at least two years symbolised wisdom akin to that displayed by King Solomon when he adjudicated in the case of two women who were claiming the same baby. King Solomon was convinced that the woman who embraced his proposal to cut the baby into two and let each of the take one part, could not be the mother of the baby. He issued a verdict in favour of the one who preferred to let the other woman take the baby alive rather than cut him into two. Obviously, those reciting the litany that they would rather suffer a ban by FIFA than have Obua, as FUFA President, cannot claim to have the interest of Uganda soccer at heart. Interestingly, Bidandi Ssali, nicknamed “Mister” because of his acumen in soccer administration.has despite having supported Kawaase tooth and nail during the FUFA polls campaign, called upon all soccer enthusiasts to support Obua in the noble task of rehabilitating Uganda soccer. Bidandi advised Obua’s opponents to respect the results of the polls since they were the outcome of the democratic process observed in this country. If Kawaase and company choose (God forbid) to ignore Bidandi’s wise counsel, they will offer yet another justification for their having been rejected by the FUFA Assembly. Personally, I am not surprised by Bidandi’s post FUFA polls stance. It is compatible with the Bidandi I have known and associated with for nearly four decades. The Bidandi who knows, if I may resort to Biblical teaching, that “.... There is a time for casting stones, and there is a time for gathering stones....” The time for casting stones at each other is gone. It is now time for gathering stones, which we need for laying a new foundation for Uganda soccer. Perhaps the silver lining around the dark cloud hovering over Uganda soccer is the appreciation by FUFA’s new (or is it old?) boss Denis Obua that he has an obligation to cooperate and work with everybody in Uganda’s soccer fraternity. In pursuit of that noble objective, Obua has extended an open invitation to all who have the will and ability to contribute to the national task of reviving Uganda’s soccer glory to come forward and play their part. I submit that the application of tug-of-war tactics in the management of Uganda soccer is a fatal blow to the coveted objective of regaining Uganda’s soccer glory. Why should anyone opt to be an accomplice?