We've paid for TV rights - Total Promotions

By Edem John Edem

Naijaligue.blogspot.com can report that the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) otherwise called the Nigeria Football League (NFL) received N123 million being television rights money for this season.

Chairman of Total Promotions Limited, Niyi Alonge, told Naijaligue.blogspot.com on Tuesday that the N123 million was paid to the league body at the start of this season.

Total Promotions Limited is the agency that secured the rights of the Nigerian top flight.

"At the start of the season Total Promotions Limited paid the sum of N123 million to the league body for this season. You can imagine a league season that is not yet three months old and we paid them a part of the TV rights deal for this season.

"The NFL later came to us to demand that we pay additional money to them which we frowned at because a court of law has declared the body illegal and we will run fowl of the law as a company that operates in the country if we decide to continue doing business with them when a court has told the league body to wind up.

"Also, the N123 million we paid to the NFL at the start of the season is part payment of the TV rights money for this season and we paid as stipulated in the terms of contract,"Alonge said to Naijaligue.blogspot.com.

In spite of this revelation by the boss of Total Promotions Limited, the 20 clubs in the Premier League in Nigeria have said they have not been paid any amount from the deal for this season.

Ocean Boys general manager, Tony Ogola told a radio station that his club have not benefited from the TV rights deal.

"We have not got a dime from the TV rights deal," according to an interview Ogola granted Brila FM.

The NPL acting executive secretary, Tunji Babalola confirmed to Naijaligue.blogspot.com on Tuesday that Total Promotions Limited paid part of the TV rights money to the league body this season but did not disclose the actual amount.

"Yes the league body was paid," he said in a brief telephone chat that ended abruptly.

Also on Tuesday, Total Promotions Limited issued a press statement to clear the air on the TV rights money.

The statement read: “It has become necessary that we clear the air on the league television sponsorship because of recent reports that we are yet to pay the league television rights money.

"We state categorically that we have fulfilled our financial obligation to the league which is verifiable from the secretariat of the body.

"We have a contract with the league but it does not detail us to monitor how money is spent, so we are stating that club chairmen who are questioning our integrity in this regards should check the facts before making slandering statements.

“The NFL is asking us for a favour which we are ready to assist when they do the right thing by changing their books so that we don’t enter into contempt of court."