The executive of the Dominica Amateur Basketball Association (DABA) will hold an emergency meeting today in an attempt to deal with the ongoing situation surrounding DABA’s President, Dunstan Maggie Peters.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DABA, Josiah Modeste, said a number of teams and clubs on the island submitted requests over the weekend calling for the special meeting.
“The ongoing situation with DABA where we have the resignation of two executive members and you have members calling for the vote of no confidence against Maggie Peters, let me just say to the teams, that DABA will be having the executive meeting on Tuesday afternoon with the members and some of the members who resigned,” Modeste said in a press statement. “We are going to try our best to resolve this problem.”
He said a meeting with the general membership will also be hosted at a later date via Zom.
The two resignations which Modeste refers to are those of former DABA General Secretary Jerry Williams and former Vice President Peter Ricketts.
The resignations of the top officials stem from what many believe are the off-court actions and behaviour of the embattled Peters which included his participation in a protest captured on video outside of DBS Radio recently which was directly linked to the vaccination debate.
Ricketts, who played a pivotal role in the successful organization and execution of the just concluded 3X3 basketball tournament, stated that his resignation was driven by the need “to protect my personal integrity.”
The former vice president said, in announcing his departure, that basketball has been excelling in Dominica and prayed that DABA can refocus on the sport and remember why they took up the mantle to lead that prestigious association.
Williams, on the other hand, while stating that his resignation had nothing to do with the protest action embarked upon by the DABA president, did indicate that the stance taken by Peters conflicted with the DABA executive committee’s position on the vaccination of basketball players.
He accused Peter of using privileged information during the promotion of his personal agenda – information which Williams said, was discussed at a meeting with the Ministry of Sports after which the DABA executive took a decision, by majority vote, to encourage basketballers to get vaccinated.
“The president, in his protest action, saw it fit to make reference to his attendance at the meeting with the Ministry of Sports and disclosed what went on at the meeting. He attended the meeting in his capacity as the president. So making reference to this in his protest, in my opinion, was done in his capacity as the president of the DABA,” Williams argued. “Yes, he has a right to protest, but in his capacity as president, he can’t use basketball as a platform to promote his personal views on vaccination. That is what he used his office to do as president of the DABA and as one who attended the meeting with the Ministry of Sports.”
Williams further contends that the efforts of the DABA to get players back on the court were threatened by Peters during his protest action and was quick to rubbish suggestions that he was part of a ploy to remove Peters as president of the DABA.
“If persons know the internal battle that we have been having and we have tried our utmost to work around all these obstacles and hurdles. So these things that are being said are furthest from the truth and nobody had any intentions of muzzling or overthrowing the president because of his political views,” the former DABA official declared.
Despite his resignation, Williams said that he is not done with basketball as he will now focus on working with the young people in the Bense community.
“Basketball will be fine. It is now up to the membership to decide the way forward. As for me, I will still be involved but with a focus on my Under 18 from Bense and spend more time developing Bense basketball. I will also focus on sports tourism,” he further stated.
Peters, in turn, described the resignation of Williams and Ricketts as “unfortunate” and vowed to salvage what is left of his executive.
“Well, it is rather unfortunate that the two members – the vice president and the secretary – resigned, but we have to move forward. It is not the first time and I certainly do not think that it will be the last. This situation has occurred before in many different executives and people resign for various reasons, but we have to continue,” he reasoned. “As a leader, I have to pull the troops together and we will look towards the basketball fraternity to find two other individuals who are willing to serve so that they can come and make their contribution so that we can move forward and continue to do the work that we have been doing.”
Peter said that he has already held discussions with the rest of the executives as to the way forward for basketball.
“I met with the executive, not in person but we had discussions and we have been discussing. We have decided to meet on Saturday, 25th September 2021 so that we can discuss the way forward,” the DABA president revealed. “And thereafter, we are going to meet with the general membership to include clubs and teams. So we can discuss with them and hear from them. Hear what they have to say and how they feel and what they think is the best way forward. So these are the next steps that will be taken.”
I think Maggie can start with an apology. He has done a lot for basketball and the youth in Dominica that he can be given a second chance as President and act better going forward.
“The resignations of the top officials stem from what many believe are the off-court actions and behavior of the embattled Peters which included his participation in a protest captured on video outside of DBS Radio recently which was directly linked to the vaccination debate.”…Now give me a fletching break!
So being an executive member of a sporting association on island superceeds the man’ human rights to protest for what he believes in? Those calling for his resignation are nothing but stooges of the DLP Cabalists. So I am left to conclude that the DABA is now a politically tainted organization and therefore should be renamed the “Dominica Labor Party Basketball Association”.
This one is easy to figure out. The octopus-like occupant of the PM’s office has his toxic tentacles on all things in Dominics. Everything is viewed through a police prism for him.
How dare Maggie goes and exercise his constitutional to demonstrate in public against the vaccine. The DLP ‘leaders’ stayed in the shadows and sent their foot soldiers (infantry) to slash and burn the basketball organisation to the ground in order
to remove one man.
The foot soldiers then fabricate some pathetic and lame excuses to draw attention away from their puny minded masters. Basketball is now the biggest loser in this kerfuffle.
Politics is extremely ugly in Dominica. It nas corrupted and is destroying the entire fabric of the society. Nothing is left unscathed.
The church, community councils, the courts, the police, the schools, the public service, the private sector, even the rivers and the national birds haven’t escaped the many filthy, political tentacles of this demonic, ruling regime.
The sporting disciplines in Dominica are at an all time low. Cricket, athletics, football, netball.are all being asphyxiated by the uncaring, ultra I selfish kakistocracy. Only basketball offers a glimmer of hope. Now, it is about to be placed on the choppingblock for imminent execution.
Dominica under the misrule of an immature, egotistical ,gluttonous tyrant is spiralling out of control to the abyss.
Dominicans are too unprofessional . They do not know how to separate personal life from business. As the president of such an association you have no right to discuss private information in the public. Even your stance on the vaccine though your right, cannot be discussed in a public protest unless you resign from your position as president. There is a conflict of interest here. As much as Maggie deserve the position we have to remove emotion and call him out when necessary. He needs to resign.
Sorry Maggie, I know you have up a lot for the youth and your have contributed much,. I remember you washing their players’ uniform by hand, and going all out for them but you have crossed the line. Lead by example and resign.
When fellas think that you can run associations and be a coach on FB and have concept of Sports Organization/Management and respect for keeping matters discussed in-house private then the clown show will continue. I do hope that the respective ball clubs make their voices heard. If they think that the current president is the right man to lead the future of Basketball in Dominica, then take that stand and defend your leader. If, on the other hand they decide that he is not the one, then the proper protocols according to DABA’s constitution should be implemented to replace that individual as president of DABA. Sports in Dominica is and should be bigger than one man. Respect to the two individuals who resigned for their reputation and for the benefit of the sport.
One Love Dominicans #OLD767
I read an entire commentary here, and nowhere did i see the word CONSTITUTION mentioned!! Does the DABA have a CONSTITUTION??? If the answer is YES, what section or subsection of the constitution did Maggie violate??? Please quote it.If you all have no constitution, well give the “darn” man a break to do his work. He does it with a passion. To me that looks more like a personal vendetta against Maggie, and he should stand his ground.. DO NOT RESIGN MAGGIE!!!! Them guys lack conviction, their case is weak and paralysed.. Keep on working to promote the sport Maggie. Is it because you have your RASTAFARI BELIEFS???? Those guys agenda is unclear as their message!!
You have done the hard work, is it that they now want the harvest???
DO NOT RESIGN!!!! HELL NO !!!