By Shamaoma Musonda –
ANOTHER fire has been ignited at demoted City of Lusaka where the Board of Trustees has suspended Club Secretary Christopher Chilongo for ‘bringing the name of the club into disrepute’.
But Chilongo has rubbished the suspension telling the Trustees led by Christine Mulundika that they had no powers to suspend a club ‘Chief Executive Officer’ and that their duties ended at safeguarding the clubs assets.
In a letter signed by Mulundika, the trustees expressed anger at Chilongo’s decision to issue a statement asking about the whereabouts of the title deeds for the stadium and club house after they mysteriously went missing from Woodlands Police station.
“As custodians entrusted of all movable and immovable assets of the club, the Board of Trustees has full knowledge in transparency of the whereabouts of all club assets vis-a-vis title deeds. This information is regularly share with the club.
“We therefore find the press release of December 9 a fabrication of truth… as per the power vested in the Board of Trustees by the club constitution, Mr Christopher Chilongo has since been suspended for bringing the name of the club into disrepute,” the statement read in parts.
The statement further said the development going on at the stadium and the shopping Mall by Forli limited was a good thing.
But Chilongo said the Mulundika had misdirected herself in suspending him and declared the ban as being ultravires and reminded her that she can also not make decisions on her own.
“Mama Mulundika, please do not be used. You have no authority by our Constitution to suspend an elected official like me. Do not abuse your authority as a Trustee! The Club has its own organ which deals with disciplinary matters.
“Whatever statements I issue are done with the authority of ExCo. Don’t take it personal. Issues of title deeds and lease agreements are so sensitive and now are bordering on crime and soon or later, these matters will be investigated to their finality,” he said.
Chilongo said that the club record state that from the sitting Board of trustees, only Mulundika was legally in office and the rest (four of them) were not recognized adding, on her own, Mulundika can not pass any decision.
“I am the club CEO, and that means that I speak for the whole executive. I communicate decisions of the executive. So how can she pick me out? The executive has been mandated explain a number of things by the club members and these call for investigation.
“So as an executive, we are investigating three issues and the title deed issue is just one of them. Some issues border on criminality so Madam Mulindika should take and stop acting out of her powers,” he said.
He further charged that a meeting had been secretly planned for this Friday by the trustees at which the Justin Zulu executive is expected to be removed going by agenda item number one which says review of activities of the executive.