Give Us Space To Operate Or We’ll Hit The Streets Lotto Agents Tell NLA

Over one million private lotto operators across the country have threatened to hit the streets in protest, if government fails to correct some perceived improprieties that have engulfed the sector.

According to members of the Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG), some activities of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) has greatly inhibited their business and gradually taking them out of business.

In a press statement signed by the Executive Secretary for CLAAG, Mr. Kwaku Duah- Tawiah, the agents said government must put a searchlight on the NLA and regulate it positively in order to restore sanctity to the system.

The association argues that the NLA, aside taking money from private lotto operators for a renewal of licence that never happened, has teamed up with Veteran Association of Ghana (VAG) to stifle the association.

“In order to provide some jobs for the majority of our people, the government…came up with VAG Act 844 and the VAG under the Act, allowed Private Lotto Operators some space and that single action helped to mitigate the unemployment situation,” the statement read.

It continued: “We are therefore calling the government to stop NLA from going into any agreement with VAG, but properly regulate the NLA and amend NLA Act 722 to allow private participation in the lotto industry.”

Stern Warning

CLAAG opines that private lotto operators and their followers have a large constituency, countrywide and any attempt to take them for granted, may spell disaster for the government.

According to the association, aside massive job loss, the state stands the chance of losing over GHȻ400 million per annum if private lotto operators should go out of business.

“The government must wake up. Public private participation is not foreign to government policy in any era in Ghana’s history and must not be now,” CLAAG submitted.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey