Hot SourceFormer Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku, has strongly dismissed a recent report by the Fourth Estate, which suggested that funds earmarked for good causes during his tenure were diverted into “glamorous events and questionable enterprises.”
In a detailed statement issued on Thursday, September 25, Mr Awuku described the publication as “lopsided, misleading and unfair,” insisting that the NLA Good Causes Foundation, under his leadership, had positively transformed communities and touched over one million lives across Ghana.
“It is unfortunate that the names of staff, cancer patients, and other beneficiaries were flagrantly published under the guise of public interest, without due regard to privacy. I urge the Fourth Estate to do better,” said the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region.
Mr Awuku, who headed the Authority between 2021 and 2024, stressed that while the report highlighted sponsorship of high-profile events, it deliberately underplayed life-saving projects in health, education, youth development, and culture.
He outlined a catalogue of interventions, including the construction of mechanised boreholes and 20-seater toilet facilities across all 16 regions, the refurbishment of schools and hospitals, medical outreach programmes benefiting over 6,000 people, neonatal care support at major hospitals, and scholarships for brilliant but needy students.
The former NLA boss also highlighted investments in sports and culture, ranging from support for Ghana Premier League clubs and women’s football to funding for traditional festivals and educational facilities in deprived areas.
Mr Awuku revealed that the NLA’s Caritas Lottery Platform, relaunched in 2021 to finance the Good Causes Foundation, generated over GHS 11 million within three years, rising from just GHS 102,000 in 2021 to GHS 6.2 million in 2024. He insisted that only a small fraction, about 5%, went into corporate sponsorships, which he argued were strategic partnerships designed to raise the Authority’s visibility and attract more revenue.
“The intention was not to purchase awards, as alleged. The NLA’s sponsorship of events like the EMY Awards, Ghana Club 100, and the CEO Summit helped us pitch our brand to corporate Ghana and grew the Caritas Platform exponentially,” he explained.
According to Mr Awuku, the majority of the Foundation’s resources were channelled into “life-saving and transformative projects,” such as the construction of a neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Ghana Hospital, refurbishing psychiatric wards, and providing sanitary pads to thousands of schoolgirls.
Citing endorsements from the World Lottery Association and commendations from visiting dignitaries, including former Maltese President Dr George Vella, he maintained that the NLA’s impact under his stewardship was widely recognised internationally.
Mr Awuku concluded by stating that he served with integrity and left the Authority in a stronger financial position than he found it.
“While the Fourth Estate seeks to highlight the ills of the NLA Good Causes Foundation, I believe an accurate version would be worth everyone’s while,” he said.
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