Hours after an announcement was made yesterday of Jack Warner’s resignation as FIFA vice president, the Works and Transport Minister said he had no regrets whatsoever about the decision.
In fact, Warner pledged renewed commitment to the Government and the people of T&T, saying he felt “more revitalised than ever to work for this country.”
Asked by members of the media if he had regrets about resigning his post as vice president of the world football body which he held for 30 years, Warner said: “None whatsoever. Don’t worry about me too much. I’m okay.
“My new role is in the Cabinet and the People’s Partnership. My role is to look after the problems of the Government and the people of T&T. “I always said if it comes to a choice between FIFA and country, I’ll choose country.”
Warner made the comment around 5.30 pm yesterday while checking out a collapsed wall at the side of the Marsicans Steel Orchestra’s panyard on the Arima Old Road. He initially refused to answer questions from the media about his resignation, referring journalists to his lawyer Om Lalla. “I came here to see about this problem (the collapsed wall). That is my basic and most important role.”
Only when pressed, did he give in. Warner dismissed demands for his resignation by Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley as unsubstantiated calls from “dying politicians who want to get a place in the sun.”
He said Caribbean football would not suffer as a result of his resignation and suggested we “wait and see” who would replace him as FIFA vice president. Lalla said FIFA had dropped all charges against Warner, who was accused to paying bribes to delegates at a Caribbean Football Union meeting to vote for former FIFA presidential candidate Mohammed bin Hammam.
“He has been cleared,” Lalla said. He added all footballing activities had been put to rest by Warner and he had moved on. “He has come back with renewed spirit. There will be a lot of action on the political front now,” the attorney promised.
Lalla said Warner’s resignation was separate and apart from FIFA’s decision to vindicate him. He added: “The investigation was an ongoing exercise and they have made a determination. “They have made what we consider an appropriate decision.” Lalla said he was not sure that Warner consulted with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar before he resigned.
About Jack Warner
Jack Austin Warner was born in Rio Claro, South Trinidad, on January 26, 1943. Warner, his three sisters and two brothers were almost single-handedly brought up by their mother, Stella, a simple, hard-working woman with a firm belief in God.
The young Warner attended the St Theresa’s Roman Catholic School, Rio Claro, and later when his parents moved to Longdenville in 1953, he was transferred to the primary school in the area. Warner got a scholarship from Trinidad Clay Products to attend the College of St Phillip’s and St James which in 1958 was changed to Presentation College, Chaguanas.
He later attended the Mausica Teachers Training College and the University of the West Indies where he obtained his degree in history in 1967. He became the TTFA secretary in 1973 where he stayed for the next 16 years until he tendered his resignation in 1990.
During that period, Warner became the strongman of football in the country. He also served as president of the Caribbean Football Union and special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and was re-elected as President of CONCACAF at the Congress in Antigua on May 9, 2004.
In the 2007 general election Warner contested the electoral constituency of Chaguanas West. He swept the polls with a landslide victory. He tallied some 11,140 votes; with the nearest rival trailing with some 5,280.
Warner fought the election as one of the Deputy Leaders of the UNC, having won that position some two years before, in the internal elections of the party. He has so far, become one of the frontline speakers for the Government in Parliament.
Career history and accomplishments
• Teacher (history): Polytechnic Institute, Port-of-Spain 1970-1993;
• elected general secretary of the Caribbean Football Union in 1978;
• elected president of the Caribbean Football Union in 1983;
• elected president of CONCACAF in 1990;
• appointed special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Federation in 1990;
• vice president of FIFA in 1997; and,
• founded the Professional Football League in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999.
Warner resigns from FIFA; football body drops bribery probe.
By Renuka Singh (Express).
JACK SHOCKER
In a move that startled the country almost as much as his suspension from FIFA, Works Minister Jack Warner announced yesterday that he has resigned as vice-president from the world's governing football body as well as CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.
Though Warner referred all questions on the subject to lawyer Om Lalla, whom he dubbed his "legal mouthpiece", he could not stop himself from responding when asked about his resignation.
"It was voluntary, of my own volition," Warner said. "I have no regrets," he added.
Warner was at the Mausica bridge near the Victory Heights development to inspect a collapsed bridge yesterday, but it was Lalla who announced that FIFA had dropped all the charges against Warner.
"He is cleared. He is vindicated. There is nothing against him. This matter is at an end, as far as anybody is concerned," Lalla said.
Though Lalla would not divulge the legalese behind Warner's resignation decision, he said it was "separate and apart from FIFA's decision to vindicate him".
"This is not like a preliminary enquiry in Trinidad, where there was an enquiry that was determined. It was an ongoing exercise that has continued until today and FIFA at any stage could consider the evidence it had at the end or during the investigation and make a determination," Lalla said.
"They (FIFA) have made a determination. They have considered what they consider to be appropriate action (Warner's suspension), and that is what we have before us today and we have to stand by that," he said.
When he did speak, a still defiant Warner warned local politicians that he was "coming very good" and promised "a lot of action" on the political front.
Warner said detractors come with political life, but while he was willing to be more lenient on members of the Government who called on him to step down during the height of the investigation, he was not holding back on members of the Opposition.
"The politics locally better be careful, cause I coming very good. To the (Keith) Rowleys and the (Fitzgerald) Hinds of this world, I coming very good," he said.
He described their call for his removal as "foolishness".
"You really believe I should dignify that foolishness they talking about? Hinds and Rowley? You really feel I should talk about Hinds and Rowley?" he asked.
Lalla said there was no legal basis for Warner to resign from his Ministerial post.
Warner said this resignation does not change his $1-per-month salary.
"Nothing has changed. Why should that change? Don't worry about me too much. I'm okay and I have a job to do," he said.
Warner said the country will now benefit from his full concentration.
"Football is at a rest for the meantime," Lalla said.
Warner, Qatari millionaire Mohamed bin Hammam and two members of the CFU were suspended at the end of May after allegations surfaced that CFU delegates were each offered US$40,000 at a meeting in Trinidad last month in the build-up to FIFA presidential elections. Warner appealed his suspension, but resigned before the investigation was complete.
Despite the tenuous situation within FIFA during the investigation process, Warner said he remained friends with four-time FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
"We have our differences, but that does not make us enemies. We are still friends man, and I'll tell you however that in some time I would say much more on that," he said.
The Express was told by a source that Warner initiated resignation proceedings the day after his June 5 Indian Arrival Day celebrations and it was only confirmed and accepted by FIFA yesterday.