Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, was at the centre of a controversy involving a $300,000 appearance fee allegedly paid by the Akwa Ibom State Government for the opening of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Reports at the time indicated that the football icon had been scheduled to attend the elaborate opening ceremony of the 30,000-capacity stadium, but failed to appear after a change in the date of the event.
The stadium was formally opened by then President Goodluck Jonathan on November 7, 2014, with Pele billed as a special guest at the ceremony.
His absence reportedly followed a change in the original schedule, despite his representatives having received the appearance fee.
A source familiar with the matter told BusinessDay that the Akwa Ibom State Government had been seeking a refund of the $300,000, but efforts to recover the money had not yielded results.
“The Akwa Ibom Government want their cash back, but so far all their efforts have proved abortive,” the source said.
According to the source, the state government was initially seeking the full amount, although some experts in celebrity appearances had advised it to negotiate for a partial refund.
The disagreement reportedly centred on responsibility for the cancellation. Pele’s representatives were said to have maintained that they were not responsible for breaching the agreement and therefore should not be held liable for the payment.
They reportedly argued that by the time a new date was fixed for the stadium opening, Pele already had another engagement.
The stadium, popularly known as “The Nest of Champions,” later hosted Nigeria’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Algeria, further highlighting its significance as one of the country’s major sporting facilities at the time.
Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, had continued to attract lucrative commercial opportunities around the world following his retirement from professional football, including special guest appearances and endorsement-related engagements.
A source familiar with the matter told BusinessDay that the Akwa Ibom State Government had been seeking a refund of the $300,000, but efforts to recover the money had not yielded results.
“The Akwa Ibom Government want their cash back, but so far all their efforts have proved abortive,” the source said.
According to the source, the state government was initially seeking the full amount, although some experts in celebrity appearances had advised it to negotiate for a partial refund.
The disagreement reportedly centred on responsibility for the cancellation. Pele’s representatives were said to have maintained that they were not responsible for breaching the agreement and therefore should not be held liable for the payment.
They reportedly argued that by the time a new date was fixed for the stadium opening, Pele already had another engagement.
The stadium, popularly known as “The Nest of Champions,” later hosted Nigeria’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Algeria, further highlighting its significance as one of the country’s major sporting facilities at the time.
Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, had continued to attract lucrative commercial opportunities around the world following his retirement from professional football, including special guest appearances and endorsement-related engagements.
Source: BusinessDay
0 Comments