First Capital Plus Bank injects $10m into GPL

First Capital Plus Bank (FCP) injects $10,000,000.00 into

Ghana Premier League (GPL)

Tuesday February 4, 2014 will mark as

another historic day for Ghana Football as when First Capital Plus FCP Bank

signed an agreement with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to become title

sponsor of the Ghana Premier League with an enticing package worth Ten Thousand

US Dollars ($10,000,000.00) for the next five years.

Mr. John Kofi Mensah CEO of FCP Bank

disclosed at a colourful gathering at the forecourts of the head office

(Capital Plaza) of the Bank on the Spintex Road in Accra that shareholders are

sharing their profits with the GFA and secondly they are sacrificing funds that

could have been used to enhance capacity of the Bank to do business.

He announced that the sponsorship

period will span for five (5) financial years from January, 2014 to December,

2019.

“The Total Sponsorship amount is Ten

Million US Dollars (US$ 10,000,000.00)” he emphasised.

According to the CEO of First

Capital Plus Bank, disbursement of Two Million US Dollars (US $2,000,000.00)

Annual Sponsorship amount will be done in the following – 1st Tranche 25% by end of

first quarter of the year, 2nd Tranche 25% by

end of second quarter of the year, 3rd Tranche 50% by end of fourth quarter

of the year and FCP would as a sweetener deliver allied innovative services and

products to the participating football clubs, players and supporters as well as

officials.

He expressed that the focus of the

Bank is to collaborate with the GFA, the Professional League Board (PLB) and

other relevant stakeholders to develop more holistic and innovative strategies

aimed at making the league one of the most attractive on the African continent,

and in global football as a whole.

He encouraged supporters to keep on

patronizing the League and go in greater numbers as there are packages for

supporters who throng the stadia as well as the technical handlers who would be

motivated to perform.

“We are Ghanaians and Football is

our passion, As an indigenous Ghanaian Bank and good corporate citizen, it is

with an immense sense of pride that we sponsor the Ghana Premier League and the

beautiful game of football, a sport that serves as a unifying force, and a

source of national pride, we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship

between FCP Bank and the Ghana Football Association” he added.

Dr. Daniel Markin, whose company

brokered the deal and was Chairman of the occasion urged the clubs to play

quality football to attract the fans to watch matches at the various stadia in

the country. He appealed to all stakeholders in Ghana Football to play their

roles well, as football can market the nation and bring about peace and unity.

The GFA President, Kwesi Nyantekyi

said it was a historic partnership between the two organisations and the

marriage is for life, but the five years was to test the grounds.

He hinted that it was due to good

leadership and visionary administrators with foresight that Ghana Football is

rated among the best in Africa and it was significant that Ghana did very well

at the CHAN 2014 Tournament by placing second.

Kwesi Nyantekyi who has qualified

Ghana to three FIFA World Cups in 2006, 2010 and 2014 has happy that the deal

came at the right time when the league was facing financial crisis with the

absence of no major sponsor, excerpt Media Sponsor, Super Sport, who

coincidentally were organizing a two day workshop for club chief executives and

marketing officers.

He promised FCP Bank of their

mileage as the sponsorship money can do many things, and assured the gathering

of opening an account at the Bank.

He stated that the contract has a segment

for supporters to benefit as football without the fans is like fufu without

soup, and the recent CHAN 2014 has revealed to him that supporters are very

important and can play a big role in winning crucial matches, citing the semi

final game between Ghana and Nigeria in South Africa 2014.

The GFA President who doubles as the

WAFU President commended the media for advancing the frontiers of development

and welcomed criticism that are constructive.

He said the current GFA is raising

Ghana Football from one level to another level.

The Honourable Minister of Youth and

Sports, Elvis Afriyie –Ankrah who unveiled the new logo for the Ghana Premier

League and First Capital Plus Premier League said he will do whatever he can to

ensure that a few suppporters travel on government ticket to support the Black

Stars at the World Cup in Brazil, as the fans play a major role in the game.

“Imagine Brazil Samba against

Ghanaian Kpanlogo or Azonto” he joked on the jama songs by the supporters

union.

He adviced that there must be a

strategic collective objective to see the GFA and his Ministry working in

harmony and achieving success.

He reteirated that football is the

passion of the nation and hence need special attention since it is also a

unifier.

“Today will mark as a turning point

and we are involving all stakeholders to open accounts with the First Capital

Plus Bank, a fairly new Bank but robbing shoulders with the big Banks and now

into sports” he stressed.

He charged the clubs to be

responsible for better management systems after they had undergone a marketing

seminar organized by Super Sport with English football hero, Stanley Mathews as

a resource person.

Honourable Afriyie –Ankrah urged

corporate Ghana to consider the less popular sporting disciplines, most of whom

like Badminton, Swimming, Weightlifting and Cycling which have proved capable

of winning medals at international sports events like the Commonwealth Games

and come to their aid.

He also cautioned the Sports

Federations in Ghana to position them selves well like the GFA and learn from

the football people whom he congratulated for putting Ghana on the world map of

football.

First Capital Plus Bank is a wholly

owned Ghanaian Bank currently with 15 branches spanning five regions, namely;

Western, Ashanti, Central, Eastern and Greater Accra.

The Bank has chalked a few awards

such as Non-Bank Financial Institution of the Year, 2012 - by the Chartered

Institute of Marketing Ghana, 10th Best Performing Company in 2013

Ghana Club 100 - by the Ghana Investment Promotion Council and adjudged 3rd Fastest

Growing Company in the Ghana Club 100 in 2013.

The Miracle Wave Band led by Jewel

Ackah thrilled guests, patrons and the supporters, with Azigiza Jnr. conducting

affairs as the Master of Ceremonies