President of Confederation of African Football (Caf) Ahmad Ahmad has refused to accept a salary from African football’s governing body.
Ahmad whose election in March ended Cameroonian Issa Hayatou’s 29-year reign made this know to BBC.
“I’ve refused a Caf salary for the simple reason it doesn’t respect good administration.
“The salaries of all Caf employees, from administrators to the executive committee and president, all have to be transparent.”
The 57-year-old from Madagascar held his first senior Caf meetingson Monday ahead of the Fifa Congress on Thursday, 11 May.
Key among the topics being discussed are how to reform Caf.
“We will take a decision that suits everyone so that this competition is valued again and attracts more resources and attract bigger audiences in Africa.
“The reform of the administration is a very important point – everyone must know what is happening.
“First we must review the standards of management so that we can apply the reforms” said Ahmad.
The former Madagascar FA chairman said there is much work to be done – in lots of areas – to make Caf work “as it should.
“I’m sorry to tell you when I was part of the Caf Executive Committee there was no separation of powers – the judicial body, the executive one and the congress – and we have to respect the independence of each body,” he continued.
“There is a big tendency to monopolise power in the executive committee.
He pointed that this has to be reviewed and reformed with new statutes for Caf so that everyone can concentrate on proper tasks.
On the African Nations Championship (CHAN), Ahmad has also voiced concerns about the popularity of their flagship Africa Cup of Nations tournament saying it’s in danger of being overshadowed by the home based professional; tournament.
He says in light of these concerns, there will also be a full review of all the Caf competitions, and as such, a symposium will be organised to discuss the future of the events.
“The symposium will be made up of representatives from all parts of African football so we can discuss what we are going to do in all the competitions – Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations], CHAN, the youth tournaments and the women’s events,” he explained.
