League AGM on course

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The National –Thursday, January 6, 2011

 THE ongoing battle of the leadership of the PNGRFL will further drag the code into the mud if all administrators of the game do not come to an agreement for the betterment of the code.

The (former) PNGRFL interim committee set Jan 30 as the annual general meeting which most Highlands league presidents have agreed to attend.

The Northern (excluding Lae RL) and New Guinea Islands presidents have refused to attend the meeting stating that the meeting would be in breach of the court order.  

They claimed the AGM was already convened on Nov 28 last year in accordance with the league’s constitution and the date set by the court. 

Bryan Kramer was the duly elected PNGRFL chairman at the meeting.

They claimed that John Numapo could no longer represent PNGRFL as his term in office had efectively lapsed.  

Numapo and the Interim Committee were appointed by a court order.  

The same order set the date of the AGM and also gave orders that the committee would no longer hold office on or after the date of the AGM.

However, the Highlands bloc including the former interim chairman Numapo who are disputing Kramer’s election are all gearing up for the  AGM at the end of the month. 

Kramer maintains that he was the elected chairman which was supported by the court order. 

However several leagues around the country want a fair hearing and selection of its board members to run the affairs for the PNGRFL.  

PNGRFL general manager Joe Tokam  along with Wabag president Sandis Tsaka said yesterday that the AGM was still going to be held at the end of this month as per the directive from former interim board chairman John Numapo.

“We do not know why Kramer is doing this but for the good of the code all affiliated leagues have to have their say in the ballot and it was proper that majority of the leagues were presented to vote for the new board,” Tsaka said.

Kramer when asked about this acknowledged all parties’ concerns however he said: “Irrespective of what our views may be, we are all bound by the PNGRFL constitution and, more importantly, a court order issued by a national court judge. 

“We need to respect the court and comply with its directives he said.”

 When Tokam was asked about Kramer’s claim, he said he would not comment on that matter.