Stop Online Lottery – CLAAG Tells Gov’t

More than one million private lotto operators across the country would be jobless with further threat to hit the streets in protest, if government fails to correct some improprieties and mismanagement ongoing that have engulfed their sector.

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

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Kwaku Tawiah Duah, the Executive Secretary of Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG) said the introduction of an online lottery manage by KGL under the auspices of the NLA will deprive their members of  jobs if government does not intervene.

“On the online lottery that KGL is operating, CLAAG is totally against it, because it’s going to render all our members who are more than two million jobless since nobody would then walk into lotto kiosk to stake lotto and therefore this large number of people would be jobless and this would create insecurity in the country.

“Even though we are in a world of technology, we cannot blindly copy other countries, since our situation here is different from those that we are comparing ourselves to”.

He added, “We have sent messages to all our regional coordinators to be on the alert and wait for a signal to start a massive campaign against the government and the New Patriotic Party, this campaign will continue unabated.”

Call To Order

Mr Kwaku Tawiah Duah further charged President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency call the acting Director-General of NLA, Mr. Ernest Mortey, to order with regards to certain unfriendly decisions spearheaded by him against private lotto operators.

He said the actions of Mr. Ernest Mortey if not brought to better satisfaction would escalate and violate matters in the lottery industry.

“Competition in any democratic dispensation builds a healthy economy and it’s about time NLA accepts that monopoly is a thing of the past. This is the second time we have called you within one week; the reason is that the conduct of the newly appointed acting Director General of the NLA if not checked will escalate matters in the lotto industry.

“It would be in the interest of the Government and the New Patriotic Party to call Mr. Ernest Mortey, the acting director general to order so that the negative tendencies being exhibited by him could be stopped immediately. We are aware that NLA is talking about non-compliance by Alpha Lotto Limited, what exactly they have done, they are yet to tell us.”

Strong Warning

CLAAG opines that private lotto operators and their followers have a large constituency, country wide and any attempt to take them for granted, may spell disaster for the second term of President Akufo-Addo.

“We want government officials, certain individuals and entities including the NLA to know that their determination to get any private lotto operator out of business will never see day light neither will it manifest. We are also aware that certain government officials and individuals have a fantastic interest in NLA. What we want them to know is the right to enforce such interest should be exercised in the light of principles for fairness and justice and nothing more.

“Today in Ghana, in our own country politicians have become so powerful that they do things with impunity, that all citizens become vulnerable in the hands of people that they have voted for to protect and defend. As we have already said in our first release, we shall oppose vehemently and fiercely any attempt by the government of the New Patriotic Party to get any lotto operator out of business without just cause”