Bukonjadeh Group of Companies has terminated a L$300,000 sponsorship agreement with Global Pharma, just a day after reports emerged that players on the club’s roster went through the entire 2024/2025 season without pay.
Bukonjadeh had signed a seasonal deal with Global on August 21, 2024, with an option to extend the agreement.
In a letter dated May 23 to Global Pharma President Sylvanus K. Morris, Bukonjadeh CEO Elton Johns expressed regret over the decision, which he said followed a board meeting that passed several resolutions.
“It was a nice experience with the club. We wish you luck and hope that you will continue giving your best by impacting people’s lives through sport for many years to come,” Johns wrote.
“If you have any questions or require further clarifications, please feel free to contact us at the address above. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
Global Pharma has been engulfed in financial difficulties, with several players and technical staff reportedly going unpaid for months.
Several players, speaking to this writer on condition of anonymity, said they only received 75 percent of their salaries at the start of the season in October 2024 and were not paid again until the season ended in April 2025.
While President Morris disputed aspects of the players’ accounts, he did confirm the club owes salaries—though he could not say for how many months.
He reacted angrily in the “Talk Liberian Football” chat room on May 22, where discussions about the club’s financial woes had gone public, and threatened legal action.
The news of Bukonjadeh’s sponsorship termination appeared to be the final straw for Morris. He claimed he was only informed through the same chat room that had been buzzing with talk of player indebtedness.
In response, Morris attempted unsuccessfully to clarify two key points: that the contract had already expired on April 30 and therefore could not be “terminated,” and that Bukonjadeh’s letter did not explicitly cite the club’s indebtedness as the reason for ending the deal.
Following Elton Johns’ instructions, Morris texted him to differentiate between “termination,” “cancellation,” and “non-renewal.”
“Good evening CEO,
I acknowledge receipt of your communication and appreciate the help you rendered our team during the just-ended season.
Your contribution played a major role in ensuring that we concluded the season positively. We remain grateful.
However, I must point out that the term ‘termination’ doesn’t apply to this situation because the contract we signed was for a season, and that season ended in April.
It would have been best to say that you have decided not to renew our contract.
I am pointing this out because Wilmot Smith, who claims to be one of your board members, has shared this information with a couple of journalists for political reasons. They are now reporting that you terminated the contract for negative reasons.
You can choose to clarify or not. Again, thanks for your assistance to us and to humanity,” Morris wrote on May 23.
Johns did not respond. However, Wilmot Smith later posted on Facebook a photo of himself with Johns, seemingly confirming his status as a Bukonjadeh board member.
“It was an honor attending the sports writers’ annual honoring program tonight with a senior board member of the five-man loan company.
Lord, we are so grateful for this golden opportunity given to us as a premier loan company,” Smith wrote.
Analysis
I consulted a law professor, who serves as a mentor in my journalistic work, to provide clarity on Morris’ confusion over the contract language.
The agreement between Global Pharma and Bukonjadeh was a seasonal sponsorship contract with an option to renew or discontinue.
According to Morris, the contract expired on April 30, 2025. However, Global Pharma—being the beneficiary—did not formally engage Bukonjadeh about renewing the agreement, even though the club published a story on the matter in FrontPageAfrica.
By the spirit and principles of contract law, the sponsorship would still be considered active if Global had communicated its intent to participate in the upcoming 2025/2026 season—thereby triggering Bukonjadeh’s L$300,000 obligation.
Legally speaking, Bukonjadeh’s decision to terminate the deal was within its rights. The company could also have simply stated that it would not renew the agreement.
In the end, the outcome remains the same: the sponsorship contract is over—regardless of whether it was canceled, not renewed, or terminated.
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