Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 07, 2016 Sports
Journalist Rawle Toney has responded to the statement issues by the Guyana Football Federation yesterday. Here is the full text of his response.
“Dear Colleagues, this email is to address a release issued by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Re: GFF Debunks Chronicle Article.
The release issued by General Secretary Diedre Davis, seeks to label me as a ‘disgruntled’ former employee.
On January 4, the Executive Committee of the GFF terminated my contract, without notice. In the world of work, these things do happen and people part ways and move on.
This clearly isn’t the case with the GFF. I’m employed by the Guyana Chronicle as Senior Sports Journalist. I penned an article based on information I received like any other journalist.
I must say that despite me working at the GFF, certain information I will not be privy to.
Unfortunately, the article was written by me – a former employee of the GFF – and the Federation felt that I’m being vindictive and would want to get back at them for terminating my contract.
Members of the media, colleagues; at NO TIME at all will I bite the hands that fed me. I have NO issues with the GFF and its Executive Committee, with the exception of President Wayne Forde, who I have no respect for, nor will I ever both personally and professionally.
Everything that I’ve written and published by the Guyana Chronicle is based on facts and information I received from my sources.
At no time at all did I seek to lash out at the GFF or its executive.
My ONLY case/issue with the GFF is their unwillingness to honour my contract. My contract was terminated WITHOUT NOTICE, and according to the document which I signed: Should the Employee or the GFF terminate this Contract without giving the notice required, the terminating party will be required to pay to the other party the equivalent of one month’s base salary.
Also, in accordance with Guyana’s labour laws, the GFF is also entitled to pay me from the time spent on the job from my last pay day (December 15, 2015), to the time of termination (January 4, 2016).
I went as far as writing to FIFA Development Officer Howard McIntosh, FIFA Head of Member Association Primo Corvaro, CONCACAF, CONCACAF head of Legal Affairs Marco Leal, and other high ranking football officials, seeking their intervention in the matter so that we could all move on peacefully.
On the day I was issued with a letter of termination, the GFF, through President Forde, said that I’m only entitled to six days of pay and despite me pointing him to the contract that I’ve signed under the Normalisation Committee (NC), he refused to listen and said that I could take the necessary action(s).
An argument ensued and we had exchange of words.
I must reiterate that my ONLY problem with the GFF is their unwillingness to honour the contract that I signed last year and I want to move on. I’m not on a witch hunt, though I’m in procession of sensitive information, it’s not in a position to start being ‘wikileaks’.
I signed a contract of confidentiality and unlike the GFF, I must honour that contract.
It is my hope that this brings clarity to the issue and we both move on. As a member of the media, I intend cover all football related issue, just like I have for the past 11 years without bias or favour.”
Rawle Toney
Senior Sports Reporter
Guyana Chronicle.
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