The image of Ugandan football is facing its biggest test in more than a decade since the infamous Arrow Boys ruined Ugandan football in 2003. The corruption that bedevilled the sport ultimately led to the unceremonious exit of Denis Obua. It was an unfortunate blot on Obua, a man I idolised for his skills on the pitch.
From then on, no scandal has rocked the football fraternity like Fifa’s recent conviction of Moses Magogo for swindling World Cup tickets from Ugandans and personally reselling them to foreigners.
This has not only brought shame to the country but will have severe consequences for Ugandan football in the future. Obua’s failings were down to a disjointed football structure but here is a person who went out of his own volition to purposely enrich himself by disenfranchising the very football fans he was supposed to help.
Several football stakeholders that I have talked to since Magogo’s self-confessed guilt have expressed fears for the game’s future if he fails to do the noble thing and resign.
The key word here is integrity; once a person loses the moral soundness of being held in high esteem, he loses the honour of serving as Fufa president.
In the eyes of any sane footballer, fan or sponsor, disgraced Magogo will forever carry the notoriety for fraud. Imagine a person in charge of more than Shs 40bn a year but with a certification of a thief…would he be trustworthy?
Worst of all is the fact that he has refused to apologise to the Ugandans he conned.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
But amidst all this damning national shame, it is hard to comprehend why some key stakeholders and law-enforcement agencies have remained silent and looked on with hands folded as if football does not matter in this country.
We have the ministry of Education and Sports, ministry of Ethics and Integrity, the Inspectorate of Government, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit as well as parliament. I believe they need to wake up and realise the elephant in the room.
Could it be that they are all waiting for a whistle-blower’s dossier to show concern?
I’m glad Fred Muwema, a respected legal brain, came out to shed light on the Fifa statutes that prohibit plea bargain on corruption charges.
It is easy to misconstrue this as a political witch-hunt is to finish off Magogo but the lesson here is to put in place deterrent measures that corruption is a no-go area.
And besides, the Fufa presidency is a voluntary task without a salary, not a political office in which one is not expected to earn a living.
What message would it send out to the corrupt people out there if Magogo resumes office without any action or statement from the stakeholders?
Therefore, the government needs to pronounce itself on the issue because every year it pumps more than Shs 10 billion into football development; so, turning a blind eye on the matter is akin to not minding about checks and balances.
I know a number of Magogo accomplices who have benefitted from some of his illicit schemes such as trips, free tickets while others are commission agents.
For now, they have defended him as an offender who needs to be pardoned but while they may mask Magogo’s sins in gold, there is no measure to show that this self-confessed thief will con Ugandans again.
