Hot SourceSamuel Awuku, the Member of Parliament for Akuapem North and former Director-General of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA), has issued a robust rebuttal against an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, accusing the outlet of publishing a “lopsided” and misleading account of the NLA’s Good Causes Foundation expenditures.
In a detailed, eight-page statement dated September 25, 2025, Awuku defended his tenure, asserting that the Foundation’s work had “positively affected over one million lives” and that the controversial sponsorships for “glamorous events” constituted a minor fraction of a broader, transformative charitable strategy.
The Fourth Estate’s report, titled “NLA Good Causes? How Funds Meant for the Poor and Orphans Were Blown on Awards, Galas and the Rich,” alleged that funds were misused. Awuku, however, frames these expenditures as strategic investments necessary for business growth, which in turn funded widespread charitable projects.
A central pillar of Awuku’s defence is the dramatic financial turnaround of the NLA’s Caritas Lottery Platform, which funds the Good Causes Foundation. He provided figures showing that revenue grew from GHC 102,585 in 2021 to over GHC 6.2 million in 2024, cumulatively generating approximately GHC 11 million during his tenure.
He argued that sponsorships of events like the Africa Prosperity Dialogue, the Ghana CEO Summit, and the EMY Awards which the report questioned were essential marketing tools. These sponsorships, he claimed, were aimed at “corporate giants and top brands,” the primary stakeholders for the Caritas platform, and helped fuel this remarkable revenue growth.
“These sponsorships… may account for approximately 5% of the total, compared to roughly 95% of projects and donations made to save and transform individuals, communities, and institutions,” Awuku stated.
The bulk of the rebuttal is dedicated to listing dozens of projects the Foundation undertook across all 16 regions of Ghana. Awuku provided an extensive inventory, including:
· Health: Construction of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the University of Ghana Hospital, donations of incubators to several hospitals, support for mental health institutions, and medical outreach programs benefiting thousands.
· Education: Construction of classroom blocks, smart laboratories for the Borstal Correctional Institute, and provision of scholarships for needy students.
· Sanitation: Construction of 20-seater toilet facilities with mechanized boreholes in numerous communities, a project prioritized by the NLA Governing Board.
· Sports & Culture: Support for football teams like Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, and donations to cultural festivals.
Awuku directly addressed the allegation that the NLA sponsored events to “buy” awards for its Director-General. He called this a “falsehood,” noting that the NLA had been a consistent sponsor of the Ghana CEO Summit but did not receive awards in 2022 or 2025.
“The awards I received were in recognition of the collective effort and achievements of my management and staff and not bought,” he asserted, adding that many other award nominations were declined on principle.
Throughout the statement, Awuku criticized The Fourth Estate for what he deemed a violation of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics, which calls for “balanced and comprehensive information.” He expressed disappointment that the outlet omitted the Foundation’s significant impact after he granted them an interview, expecting an “accurate portrayal of the facts.”
He also raised ethical concerns about the publication of beneficiaries’ names, including NLA staff and medical patients, “without warning or right to privacy.”
Awuku concluded by invoking the international context, noting that lotteries worldwide are designed to fund good causes. He cited commendations from the former President of the World Lottery Association and the former President of Malta as validation of the NLA’s work under his leadership.
“I want to state unequivocally that during my tenure as Director-General, I worked diligently, served with integrity, and did my best to project and leave the NLA in a much better state than I found it,” the statement read.
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