FCFA 300 million was disbursed last Friday, paving the way for the resumption of the championships.

The way is now open for the resumption of the MTN Elite One and Elite Two championships following the disbursement of FCFA 300 million by government to the Professional League for onward distribution to the clubs. Though the disbursement process was initiated since April 19^th, the money only got to the coffers of the Professional League on Friday, May 3^rd.

There is expected to be no problem with the distribution since the Professional League had taken an engagement to scrape the clause that subventions will be given out only to clubs that have transformed from associations to companies.

In the official communiqué at the end of the tripartite meeting regrouping League officials, club presidents and the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, the Secretary General of the Professional League, Laibe Wapi Francis, stated that the League will distribute the money to the clubs upon reception without any conditions. The disbursement of the subventions has been the bone of contention between the association of elite One and Elite Two club presidents and officials of the Professional League leading to a boycott of the various championships by the club presidents. Now that the money has been made available, clubs presidents through the mouth of their president, Onambele Zibi, have expressed the readiness to resume the championships this weekend.

It is the third time the MTN elite One and Elite Two championships have been witnessing an irregular break. The first time was over the issue of payment of government subventions. The second was declared by the President of the League, Pierre Semengue to obliged clubs to transform to companies. The third break was recently over delays in the disbursement of the funds and a threat from the League president that only clubs that must have changed their status could benefit from the subventions.

The issue of subventions is therefore like a poisoned gift, creating more problems than it was intended to solve. Hopefully, there should not be another break before to second instalment of subventions are disbursed.