FUFA insists on new sponsorship deal

By Charles Mutebi

Uganda football governing body FUFA insists they will not back down from their controversial efforts to redefine the sponsorship deal between Azam Media Limited and the Uganda Premier League.

FUFA has been keen on redirecting payments from Uganda Premier League (UPL) sponsors Azam to new accounts that are inaccessible to FUFA Super League Limited (FSL), who were the representatives of the UPL clubs when the three-and-half year deal was signed this year.

FUFA requested Azam to redirect their periodical sponsorship payments to any of two new accounts, which they outlined in a July 7 letter.

But FSL publicly opposed the move and have taken the matter to police.

However, FUFA have now revealed that FSL did not only swindle $30,000 (about sh102m) referees money from the last batch but also don’t have the mandate to operate on behalf of the clubs anymore.

New signatories FUFA also revealed the two accounts which they forwarded to Azam have two new signatories – FUFA CEO Edgar Watson and Uganda Premier League CEO Bernard Bainamani.

FUFA made its case in a 10-point strongly-worded media statement.

In the third point, FUFA says: “The term of office for the FSL board expired and therefore acting without the mandate of the members”.

Yet the next point also states: “FUFA Executive Committee withdrew the roles as assigned to FSL in accordance with the FUFA statutes after FSL deviated from the football rules and regulations and also failing to pay for budgeted expenses.”

FUFA also explain: “Out of the budget $60,000 (about sh204m) for referees, only $30,000 was paid.

“Therefore the bona fide beneficiaries of the broadcast revenue such as referees, UPL Secretariat and some clubs were not paid their entitlements yet this had been budgeted for.”

In the final point of their missive, FUFA vow that they “will not allow a situation where referees, clubs and UPL secretariat are not paid their due entitlements at the expense of paying some individual club chairmen in form of disguised commissions”.

FUFA explained that they are taking the issue to the general assembly in September and “will implement whatever is decided”.



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