Nomads to engage Be Forward on sponsorship

Be Forward Wanderers say they will demand direct communication with their Japanese sponsor Be Forward Limited regarding the intention to stop bankrolling the club from next year.

This was resolved during the Nomads’ executive committee meeting held at the weekend.

The Lali Lubani Road outfit’s chairperson Symon Sikwese was quoted by MBC Radio 2FM as having said: “We have resolved to engage the sponsor directly.

“We just want to understand the circumstances behind their decision because we are hearing something different from other quarters. So, it is important that we get to the bottom of the issue.”

He reiterated that the arrangement of the sponsorship—whereby there is no direct contact with the sponsor—was awkward.

Sikwese said the meeting also agreed to look at the sponsorship contract which runs up to next year.

The sponsor’s local representative Mike Butao said the Nomads executive committee was free to get in touch with Be Forward Limited directly.

He said: “I understand the fears of the club’s executive. I share those fears as a supporter. My position is not there to create conflict or misunderstanding, but to facilitate fast, credible and substantive communication.

“If and where the executive feels they are getting inadequate information from me, the sponsors, myself, [immediate past chairperson] Gift Mkandawire and the current chairperson and GS [general secretary] are on Wanderers management [WhatsApp] group where we can query the sponsors openly.

“The chairperson and the GS also have the sponsors’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses and they are free to confirm any information from me. That way, we will be on the same page in advancing the club’s interests.”

Butao said transparency and trust are key “otherwise my position will be irrelevant to the club. The best part of my work is to ensure the club gets the most benefit from this sponsorship. I have even offered to help the executive find new partners. So, I urge the club to talk directly to the sponsors when in doubt”.

Be Forward sponsors Wanderers to the tune of K150 million per season. They started sponsoring the outfit in 2015.