Fufa fail to pay refs Shs150m

Referee Rajab Bakasambe dishes a yellow card to Victoria University player Okot Oola during a league game between Victoria and SC Villa at Nakivubo. Referees haven’t been paid. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA

What you need to know:

Soccer. While the UPL season ended on Tuesday, referees are bitter they have not been paid their wages. At Shs70,000 per official, Fufa owe referees Shs157m for 480 matches

KAMPALA- Referees in the Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) and Big League have gone the entire season without being paid their match allowances from the broadcaster’s disbursements.

But the fight seems to be way beyond the grass that is the whistle men and women, with Fufa Super League (FSL), who only remain as a money conduit after the federation withdrew the mandate to run the league from them, and Fufa playing the elephant’s dominant role.

“Who was paying referees before the Azam money came?” wondered Dennis Mbidde, the Fufa vice-president in charge of the league. He says he is first a Fufa executive member and then the league representative, much as he went to the Assembly through the league.

“FSL was supposed to wire referees’ money to Fufa in two instalments of $30,000 (Shs89, 850,000) but they only sent $15,000 (Shs44, 925,000) in the first instalment. “We told them that since Fufa has been paying referees before Azam money came, we needed more money because Fufa owed referees around $30,000.

“And now we agreed that they send the referees balance of $45,000 (Shs134, 775,000) but I’m not sure they even sent that.”

The federation is reported to have requested for that balance earlier but in one of the meetings with clubs, Fufa were asked to first account for the initial installment they received, which they didn’t, formally. In the three-and-a half-year-contract between Azam and FSL, Fufa are entitled to 10 per cent of each quarterly release.

Referees speak out
FSL are also supposed to wire to Fufa accounts $60,000 (Shs179, 700,000) for referees a season, who in turn send it to referees accounts. But it turns out FSL only sent $15, 000 (instead of the reportedly agreed two installments of $30,000).

Two referees, who spoke to the Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity for the sake of their jobs, confirmed they have not been paid since the said $15,000 was wired by FSL to Fufa.

“We have not been paid any money for the Premier League this season,” said one, who remembers to have officiated four to five matches, “We have only been paid arrears of the Uganda Cup from last season.”

While the second referee also admitted to not having received any payment from Fufa since the first instalment came early this year, they acknowledged having at least received some money for officiating in the initial games of the league.

“We have not received any money since the year began because that is around the same time the said $15,000 Azam money came,” the referee said. “But it is true some money was sent to our accounts early in the season. At least me I got some money for the first five to six games in the season.” Officials (five every match) earn Shs70, 000 (Shs350, 000) per match.

That money includes transport, meals and accommodation in case of long distances. However, in a meeting between the referees and Fufa recently, proposals were tabled to have every official from Kampala earn Shs100, 000 (games within Kampala) and up-country Shs150, 000.

The two referees we spoke to hope the proposals are effected in the latest release from FSL.

The trouble though is that FSL has once again wired just $15,000 to Fufa yet the referees’ balance is $45, 000.

“I don’t pay the referees,” Abbas Kawaase, the FSL board chairman, told Daily Monitor, “We wire the money to Fufa and Fufa pay the referees. We did exactly that in the first installment. “We have wired the same amount of $15,000 for April-June. I don’t know about the $45,000. I’m working on a figure I was given in the clubs’ budget.”

Fufa, whose spokesperson, Ahmed Hussein, acknowledges to them receiving the said $15,000 and their 10 per cent ($20,000, equivalent of Shs60m) from the first installment, say they used the money to clear arrears.

“It is no secret that we had debts dating from the previous seasons, both in the Super League and Big League,” said Hussein. “So whenever any money comes in, we clear the backlog. That is what may be confusing some people.

“Even some of those referees that say they were paid in the first five or six games, you may find they never had arrears. Those that had arrears, we cleared them.”

Samuel Mpiima is the chairman of the Fufa referees standing committee. “What we normally do as a committee is educational, discipline and appointments,” he said, “But that does not mean we are keeping a blind eye to our referees not being paid on time. “Of course that demoralises them but somehow they have managed to take us through.”

On the payment delay allegedly aiding match-fixing, he said: “The profession calls for integrity. While I have heard verbal allegations, there has not been evidence.

“There is will from Fufa to pay but I don’t know all the details of the monies. But of course it is distressing my referees not being paid on time. There has been promise of payment soon.” Former Fifa referee and current referees chairman of Kampala Region, Ali Tomusange, knows the pains of working under such conditions.

“It is very tough,” the 2002 Fifa World Cup linesman told us, “One time the Fufa president (Moses Magogo) himself wondered how we do it. “The simple explanation is that we love our refereeing but honestly, we can’t go on like this. Something has to be done.”

AZAM MONEY RELEASEd FOR APRIL-JUNE 2015
Wired to FSL account: $200,000 (Shs599, 000,000)
UPL Secretariat: $13,477 (Shs40, 363,615)
Commission (10% of $200.000): $20,000 (Shs59, 900,000)
Fufa (10% of $200.000): $20,000 (Shs59, 900,000)
Referees: $45,000 (Shs134, 775,000)
PR & Contingency: $5,017 (Shs15, 025,915)
Clubs (16): $96,507 (Shs289, 038,465) >>> $6,031 (18, 062,845) per club
Total: $200,000 (Shs599, 000,000)