GPL sponsorship deal could be abrogated if…

The new mega-dollar sponsorship deal for the Ghana Premier League is in danger following allegations the agency that brokered the deal acted ultra-vires (beyond it’ permitted mandate).

Uniex Ghana Limited helped secure a $10m deal which sees First Capital Plus Bank become the headline sponsors of the Ghanaian top flight.

The Ghana Premier League will be paid an annual amount of $2m for the next five years according to the dictates of the agreement signed with the Ghana FA.

The landmark deal is however in jeopardy as it has emerged that Uniex Ghana Limited – the agency that helped broker the deal – was acting beyond its registered mandate.

Uniex – incorporated and opened operations in 1994 – is registered as an agency whose function includes; importers and exporters of general goods, agro and aquatic farming and processing, real estate developments and information systems.

There however appear to be inconsistencies of the agency’s core mandates and its function as the agency responsible for brokering sponsorship deal for the Premier League for which it is alleged to have profited by 25 percent of the total amount.

This therefore could be a violation of the company law in Ghana which could see the mega deal for the Premier League cancelled if proven so.

“Well, if it is true that the agency was acting beyond its core mandate then yes, the deal can be abrogated,” Legal Practitioner Ras Tetteh Wayo told Metro FM.

“Companies are registered to carry out a particular function and should be seen to be doing so.

“If the company so wishes to venture into other areas then it must notify the authorities so that its license will be amended to cover its intended function.

“But if this is not done and the company goes ahead to perform certain functions that are not consistent with its core mandate then I am afraid that said company may have acted ultra-vires which could warrant a cancellation.

“So in this case of the Ghana Premier League sponsorship, if such a case of acting ultra-vires is proven then I am afraid depending on the dictates of the contract, certain agreements and the laws of Ghana, the sponsorship deal can be cancelled in its entirety.”

First Capital Bank has already paid $500,000 to the Premier League as the first tranche of the sponsorship deal with the Ghana FA.