Ronald Jones sure seems to be a very busy man.
Far from giving up the Barbados Football Association presidency, the Government minister is taking on further responsibilities after accepting a post on a nine-member “Normalization Committee” implemented to execute tasks for the rebuilding Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
Jones’ appointment was disclosed yesterday via press release following a two-day meeting of CFU leaders in Switzerland earlier this week.
Chaired by acting CFU president Yves Jean-Bart of Haiti, the committee has been tasked with the responsibility of appointing an interim general secretary, governing the regional body and setting a date for an ordinary congress to elect members for the next CFU executive committee.
“I am very pleased that the representatives of the CFU have reached an agreement in order to move forward and [look to the future] for the good of the game in the region,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter in the release.
The selection of Jones to this committee comes just days after certain sections of the media called for him to step down from the helm of the BFA in light of his ministerial duties.
It also comes following the massive fallout from the cash-for-votes scandal which resulted in the resignation of former CONCACAF and CFU boss Austin “Jack” Warner.
The long-serving regional boss was allegedly linked to a scheme where 16 CFU officials were offered US$40 000 each at a meeting to support now banned Asia soccer chief bin Hamman in a bid to unseat Blatter.
Captain Horace Burrell, the Jamaican football chief, was also suspended as part of the fallout but will take up a post on the Normalization Committee upon his return on January 16.
The committee, which is set to approve the new CFU statutes, also comprises Luis Hernandez (Cuba), Victor Daniel (Grenada), Jeffrey Webb (Cayman Islands), Larry Mussenden (Bermuda), Everton Gonsalves (Antigua and Barbuda) and Rignaal Francisca (Curacao).
“[I am] proud to have been part of such a historical achievement and expect that the decisions taken at the Zurich meetings will result in a brighter and better CFU,” said Jean-Bart in the release.
