AN UNPERTURBED Barry Rukoro indicated that his reign as Namibia Football Association secretary general is far from over, even after the Fifa normalisation committee got the police to escort him out of his office on Wednesday in what was most likely the last straw on the camels back as he shamefully walked out the doors of the NFA but still managed to fire salvos.

The Normalisation Committee first notable act was to remove the long-serving Rukoro from the position he has clung onto for nearly two decades as he has been part and parcel of the many controversies at the NFA.

Having survived two attempts to fire him by former NFA president Frans Mbidi, a defiant Rukoro who has refused to let go off Namibia football even after FIFA’s intervention Rukoro said that his latest notice of dismissal issued by normalisation committee chairperson Hilda Basson-Namundjebo was ambiguous, and that he intends to get clarity.

The position remains vacant until further notice.

“According to the letter I got, it says that Fifa say my continued presence at the NFA is unlawful. It is not clear whether my presence on the premises is unlawful, or whether it is me being secretary general that is unlawful,” he said.

“Again, I say, my employer is the NFA. I was never employed by Fifa. I was also never employed by Mbidi, or anyone on the [now defunct NFA] executive. So, those who are in charge of the NFA can decide to fire me, not Fifa,” Rukoro continued.

“You can say I have been retired. I have not retired.

“They [normalisation committee] sent me a whole Kombi-full of policemen to escort me from my office,” he added with a gleeful chuckle.

Quizzed about his controversial contract which states that his job was secure until retirement age, Rukoro said: “That’s a matter to be dealt with later. Definitely not today. It will be interesting to watch.”

Basson-Namundjebo informed Rukoro that his services were no longer required, following the normalisation committee’s first meeting on Tuesday.

The five-member committee was activated on Friday, and has a four-month mandate to oversee the NFA’s governance until a new leadership is elected.

“Describing his continued presence as unlawful, Rukoro was reminded that Fifa no longer recognises him as the general secretary of the Namibia Football Association,” Basson said in a media statement.

“Consequently, the mandated normalisation committee reiterated the demand that Mr Rukoro hands over all properties and assets belonging to the NFA, such as the vehicle (Toyota Fortuner) to Mrs Meriam Tjivikua, who is the finance and administration manager,” she continued.

“The normalisation committee also would like to inform all stakeholders within the Namibian football fraternity to take note of this decision, and to abide by it. No agreements, financial or otherwise, entered into by Mr Rukoro, are deemed as lawful or binding by the NFA.”

Also on the bureau of the Fifa council-assigned transitional body are deputy chair Franco Cosmos, Gaby Ahrens, Matti Mwandingi and Vivienne Katjiuongua.

While the polarising Rukoro’s position is a major point of interest, the normalisation committee’s chief objective is to be an electoral committee, and none of its members will be eligible for any of the positions at stake in the elections.

Soka25east.com