GLOA and CLAAG cautions government on Monies taken by NLA Director General
The stakeholders strongly insisted that failure for government to do so will leave them no option than to march on the streets of Ghana to proclaim the ill-dealings of Mr. Osei Ameyaw towards them.
The Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) together with Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG) have cautioned the government of Ghana to take legal measures against the Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw for wrongfully collecting their monies a year ago for the advertised Private Public Patnership (PPP) in Lotto.
The stakeholders strongly insisted that failure for government to do so will leave them no option than to march on the streets of Ghana to proclaim the ill-dealings of Mr. Osei Ameyaw towards them.
According to reports, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw collected GH¢1 million from 24 operators; GH¢5,000 each from lotto agents and GH¢1,800 from lotto writers, in addition to GH¢5 million worth of bank/insurance guarantees from operators who intended to operate nationwide.
The meeting organized by GLOA and CLAAG yesterday, October 23 2019 with the theme, “Reviewing the Current Lottery Situation in Ghana” updated stakeholders that the monies collected under the pretext of licensing them as retailers of lotto is still awaiting for NLA’s decision regardless of the delay in the implementation of the PPP.
According to the Executive Secretary of CLAAG, Mr. Kwaku Duah Tawiah, CLAAG’s concern on the whereabouts of the gargantuan payment towards the NLA agitates Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw to make panic statements, which has indeed misplaced the trust they have for him.
References of statement made by Mr. Osei Ameyaw on different radio and television networks on the rationale behind taken such huge monies according to Mr. Kwaku Duah is a revelation of his incompetency, a proof that disqualifies his leadership of the National Lotteries Authority.
Further claims of the Director General replacing old lotto kiosks with imported ones were also debunked by GLOA and CLAAG.
“There can be nothing farther from the truth. Indeed, only hundred kiosk, I repeat, only hundred kiosks have been imported into the country with each not costing less than $5,000. The valid question that we reasonable Ghanaians ask is that, do we need imported lotto kiosk at this stage of our economy at that cost? How many of the kiosk will serve for the purpose?” he asked.
They called on the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to investigate the Director General and show him the exit for causing financial loss.
“The Director General is only interested in personal advertisement and not for the interest of Ghana and Ghanaians. We have suggested before to the government that private Lotto operators could be a permanent source of income to support government, even free SHS and that can be done levying each kiosk a small amount of money and call for a lotto fund to be created as part of the consolidated fund for that purpose.
The amendment of the current existing law was conveyed to government such that the NLA will be a regulator of the lottery business.
They finally cautioned government to address their demands before they take to the streets of the country to demand a share of their right as Ghanaians.
In a press briefing by Dr. Ato Kodua, Lawyer for the Private Lotto Operators, he spoke that the meeting was purposely to update the lotto agents and writers in the Ashanti Region that their paid monies made a year ago is still in the coffers of the NLA with no decision yet. He voiced that the stakeholders in the Lottery sector have lost trust in the deceitfulness of the Director General hence the need for his replacement.
“He is not the only person to handle the work. His actions will affect the government someday especially during elections therefore leaving these agents and writers jobless is not a good sign. After all, they pay tax in their dealings".
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An appeal was made to government to put measures together to provide sanity among the members of the Ghana Lotto Operators Association and the Concerned Lotto Agents Association.
“This should not result to the President’s defeat in the next polls. They should learn something and attend to our members. Why is the government still keeping the Director General at his post amidst the countless complaints?” he ended.