PNGRFL elects Juffa as new chairman

PRESIDENTS of 16 rugby league associations affiliated to the PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) have voted in Customs Commissioner Gary Juffa as the new chairman of the PNGRFL, at the annual general meeting in Lae last week.
Representatives of the 16 leagues attached to the PNGRFL attended the 2009 annual general meeting and revealed that two PNGRFL directors, who were named, attempted to manipulate the voting process and to defer the 2009 AGM to a later date.
According to Bryan Kramer, a member of the board of directors, (Nothern Zone) the meeting went ahead despite the attempts to put off the AGM using the excuse that 18 members of the affiliated leagues throughout PNG who were present, were not eligible to sit for the AGM because they had allegedly not paid their affiliation fees for next year.
The league presidents were thrown into confusion when they turned up for the 2009 AGM and were instructed to first re-affiliate for next year before attending the AGM at the Lae International Hotel. They were stopped at the entrance and told to meet the re-affiliation criteria for 2010 season.
They argued that they were affiliated members in 2009 and that this being 2009 AGM they had every right to attend. There were 22 members at the AGM a two thirds majority , after two directors who decided to putt off the meeting compiled all their records informed all the league presidents that they all didn’t qualify for the AGM and rescheduled the meeting to a later date.
According to the documents presented to the National by Bryan Kramer, two of his college directors tried to close the meeting but the league presidents argued against it, questioned them what their agenda was and told them if they didn’t want to proceed with the meeting then they have every right to leave.
The directors with exception to the Nothern Zone director Bryan Kramer left the meeting. Kramer revealed that one of the directors told the presidents that any meeting the presidents conducted was illegal and puts the elections of the new chairman and his deputy into question.
But, Port Moresby Rugby League President, Solomon Ravu and Rigo Rugby League President Gwaibo Mairi, walked out of the elections, leaving 16 other league’s that are affiliated to PNG Rugby Football league conducted the elections with director, Bryan Kramer.
The current chairman Albert Veratau and his deputy Eric Kuman were un able to attend the AGM due to work commitments.