Contempt lies at the heart of football in Uganda

Contempt is the thread that runs through much of the worst governance issues in our football today.

When Fufa is registered as a private company, turning a public institution into a pseudo private enterprise, it is not that we the public get numbed by outrage, but that football administration just moves on as if nothing happened. It is not just that they ignore us, but that they view us with contempt – a completely worthless accessory in the game.

When the opinions and concerns of one group of stakeholders are deemed unworthy, the product is inevitably contempt. That applies to the unreasonable and prohibitive criteria for electing a Fufa president, just as much as it does to the shadowy manner of accounting for the funds that run through the veins of football.

Thriving Everywhere
Contempt does not belong solely to one individual or camp. It is thriving everywhere, and risks becoming a way of life.

Ask Vincent Onyebuchi. Last week, Express Football Club decided they had done all they could regarding the condition of his leg and were on the brink of approving plans to release him. If that happens, his rotting leg will probably be amputated.

Forget his past contributions for Express or the services the club must offer in return, he is not worth anything, anymore, is he? He is being treated with utter contempt.
Every little scandal in football, at the highest and lowest levels, are only symptoms of this bigger malaise.
The very nature of these crises, how they arise, live or die, reveal how worthless the public appear in the eyes of those we have entrusted with authority; so much so that public duty has been abandoned, and power abused with impunity.

I therefore believe that unless we can set up and respect structures that will guard against our leaders typical selfish behaviour we are onto nothing.

It is also why I think that the investigation into the mystery of the missing 177 World Cup 2014 tickets, should not be about allegations of Moses Magogo’s abuse of power, or Allan Ssewanyana’s attempts at nursing of a bruised ego. It should be about how much structure has collapsed.

We should be asking how does public property end up in hands of an individual, to dispense as he pleases, whether that be Moses Magogo or anyone else? And how do we stem the adverse effects of such a culture?

Ultimate Objective
Our ultimate objective in resolving these and other crises that afflict football must therefore be, to build structures that outlive individuals and protect us from their selfishness.

Short of that, it shall be business as usual - reports that never see the light of day or action recommendations that never bring culprits to book.

The culture of authority will continue to be that of arrogant gamesmanship, but their contempt thrives in an environment enabled by our compliance. So, if ever there was a reason to change our ways and theirs, it is that we have done nothing to deserve this official contempt.

[email protected]
MBanturaki