The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Goodfellow Ofei, has refuted reports circulating that his outfit has ended their partnership with Ghanaian club, Accra Hearts of Oak.
The Ghana Premier League giant, Accra Hearts of Oak, signed a one year partnership agreement with the NLA last season.
Hearts received one million Ghana Cedis as part of the deal.
The agreement was part of the NLA’s product dubbed ‘Atena’. The expiration of the partnership is due with several reports in the local media revealing that the NLA has put an end to the marriage.
However, PRO for the NLA says it’s untrue the deal has been cancelled.
Nevertheless, the partnership has a month to end but the Capital based outfit has not taken any step to renew or extend unlike their rival club Asante Kotoko SC who were the first to secure the partnership.
“I will not accept that we have ended sponsorship package with Hearts of Oak SC. I am very disturbed some few people close to Hearts of Oak are pushing this narrative,” he said.
“They speak about it and it’s like, because Mr Sammy Awuku is a Kotoko faithful that’s why we have left the deal with Hearts, not so. Around the table and the decision body of the National Lottery Authority, there are some Hearts of Oak fans among them, when you visit the Board of Directors where all decisions are sent to, there are Hearts faithful there as well. So every decision that we take is not based on some one’s interest,” he told Alex Kobby Stonne on Adom FM Sports Show.
“Last year, we agreed with Hearts of Oak to sponsor them. It was a one year partnership which will elapse next month before the partnership ends some portals and sites are putting it out there that we have ended the marriage with them.
“In fact, Management of Accra Hearts of Oak has not even written to NLA officially that they wish to extend the deal.
“Before last season would end Asante Kotoko CEO, Nana Yaw Amponsah, had written officially to the Director of NLA indicating their willingness for Kotoko and NLA to continue with the partnership.
“So I am at a lost that Management of Hearts of Oak would even initiate anything like that,” he concluded.