One on One: Sam Chilunga

Earlier this week, Big Bullets FC appointed banker Sam Chilunga (SC) as its new chairperson replacing Kondi Msungama who resigned over a month ago.
GARRY CHIRWA (GC) had a chat with the People’s Team new boss to seek his reaction to the appointment which has come at a time when the club is battling a severe cash squeeze and his immediate plans.

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GC: Congratulations on your appointment, what was your motivation considering the financial constraints that the team is going through?
SC: Thank you. I would also like to thank the Bullets family for entrusting me with the leadership of the club. I would say the motivation was three-fold. First, government policy supports football and as a citizen of this country, I felt I had an obligation to assist Bullets. When I saw the problems that the team was going through, I asked myself, if I couldn’t who else could? I also have great passion for the game and I have been a Bullets follower .
GC: So, what plans do you have in the bid to breathe a new lease of life into the team?
SC: Priority will be players’ welfare. What they currently get is on the lower side which can hardly motivate them. We are currently engaging potential partners with the hope of clinching a deal for the players’ perks. The other thing is that it is also important that we reward our supporters with good results. But for that to happen, there is need to rebrand and do things in an ethical and professional way. We also need to restore sanity. That is the only way we can demonstrate seriousness. As a first step, we will hire a chief executive officer (CEO) who has already been identified. He will handle the day-to-day operations of the team. We will also review the constitution, set up a code of ethics that will be signed by all exco and main supporters committee members. We will also set up a proper structure that will clearly outline the roles of administrative and technical officials. We shall also set up finance, marketing, disciplinary and technical subcommittees. We are also planning to have a strategic plan. Of course, some of these plans will be done in the short term while others in the long term.
GC: What would you like to achieve at the end of your tenure?
SC: I am driven by legacy. By the time I take a bow, people should be able to say at a certain time, there was a chairperson who did this and that. People should be the judge but having said that I am confident that with the support of all stakeholders, we should be able to turn things around. I believe Bullets is a poor team, but it is poor by choice. It is a big brand that has been misused for a long time.