Jalla hails NPFL revamp, calls for GTI contract review

Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria chieftain Harrison Jalla is content with the ongoing revamp of the Nigeria Premier Football League but wants a review of the GTI contract as financial partners, The PUNCH  reports.

The ex-Nigeria international made the observations in Tuesday’s release, which he made available to The PUNCH.

It read, “Speaking from the inside and from the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) perspective as co-owners of all NPFL rights, it’s been two years of very fulfilled football seasons. Kudos to the Hon. Elegbeleye-led Board and its financial partners, GTI. The NPFL is on course, and it will keep getting better with further improved management.

It’s also time to review the contract with GTI as a financial partner of NPFL. Ten years is too long to be in the stranglehold of a financial partner. Five years is also a fairly long time, but considering the circumstances that brought GTI as a stop-gap financial partner to NPFL, it can be accommodated.

“The NPFL was dead under the League Management Company (LMC), a typical example of what corruption and bad governance can do. The situation that the NPFL finds itself in today with the GTI contract was not negotiated from a position of strength because the NPFL had been killed by corruption under the LMC, with the club owners aiding and abetting the LMC.

“The Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye-led Board must move swiftly, tighten its belt, and seek the cooperation of the club owners to repay and offset all liability to GTI from already secured sponsorship funds. The clubs, most of which are fully funded by the government, do not deserve any share of sponsorship money at the moment. The priority should be focused on paying off GTI to restore the financial independence of the NPFL without further delay.

”The Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), as co-owners of all NPFL rights, has sat patiently on the sidelines for two football seasons and now wants the review of the NPFL/GTI partnership contract before the commencement of the 2024–2025 football season. This is without prejudice to the legality, propriety, or otherwise of the NPFL/GTI partnership contract. A stitch in time saves nine.”

In September 2023, the NPFL Board signed a pact with MTN to co-sponsor the Nigeria Premier Football League with GTI and Propel Sports Africa, according to an agency report.