Former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammy Awuku, according to the Fourth Estate, reportedly apportioned millions of Ghana cedis to friends and party folks to be used for award ceremonies and football galas.
The Member of Parliament Akuampem North in 2021 established the ‘Good Causes Foundation’ with the intention of providing monetary support to the less privileged in the society but the foundation was later served as a platform for channeling funds for programs unrelated to the purpose for which it was established.
NLA documents indicate that the foundation was created in accordance with the legal requirements that mandated the authority to establish a special lottery aimed at assisting those in need within society.
The said law is section 2(3) of Act 722.
The section specifies that the operation of the National Lotto will include a lottery aimed at providing care and protection for individuals who are physically or mentally afflicted, as well as the needy, elderly, orphans, and destitute children.
Contrary to the objectives of the Good Causes Foundation as specified in the aforementioned section, the foundation allocated millions of cedis to extravagant events and other dubious ventures.
The data obtained by The Fourth Estate regarding the foundation’s disbursements indicates that a significant portion of the funds was allocated to the sponsorship of elite organizations and events. The EMY Africa Awards received GHC90,000, whereas the Ghana CEO Awards received GHC350,000.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s Africa Prosperity Network Awards allocated GHC250,000, whereas the GIPC’s Ghana Club 100 Awards allocated GHC200,000. The Ashanti Business Leaders Excellence Awards were allocated GHC50,000, whereas Glitz Africa publications received GHC80,000 for the Ghana Women of the Year award.
The Information Services Department (ISD) was fortunate enough to receive a generous sum of GHC40,000 for its prestigious Government PROs Awards. Meanwhile, the Governance and Business Leadership Awards also enjoyed a nice boost with GHC20,000. Not to be outdone, the then Ministry of Public Enterprises was awarded a substantial GHC50,000 for an enlightening study tour of Singapore.
The National Labour Commission received a generous allocation of GHC 180,000 for local conferences, along with a substantial GHC 70,000 to participate in an international labour conference in the beautiful city of Geneva. Additionally, a noteworthy GHC 50,000 was dedicated to celebrating the fifth anniversary of the free senior high school programme, marking a significant milestone in educational advancement.
JIT Magazine and Diary proudly boasted a whopping GHC100,000 for the highly anticipated presidential diary publication.
In the seat where Mr. Awuku would subsequently run for and win election, the NLA diverted monies intended for the poor to build police stations and an astroturf field.
NLA generously bestowed a remarkable GHC50,000 for the memoir project of none other than former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan, a true icon among the nation’s wealthiest footballers, residing in a lavish USD 3 million mansion that truly reflects his succes.
There are many more..
