Leadership of the Nigeria Licensed Lottery Operators have paid a working visit to the Ghana National Lottery Authority (NLA) to rekindle their working relationship and build a stronger bond beneficial to both countries.
Meeting the Director-General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku and some officials of the Authority, Chima Onwuka, Chairman of the Nigeria License Lotto Operators who led the delegation stated that their presence in Ghana is to improve the already existing relationship between the two institutions.
“Our visit here is to rekindle the relationship that has existed between lotto operators in Nigeria and the NLA here in Ghana,” he said.
He noted that the development of lottery is hinged on integrity and stressed the commitment Ghana has attached to building its lottery system makes it imperative for Nigeria to learn more.
Director-General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku , Chima Onwuka, Chairman of the Nigeria License Lotto Operators and Ms Immaculate Mbaso
Chima Onwuka said their engagement with the NLA will also fashion out ways the Nigeria Lottery Operators can pay royalties to Ghana in the use of its draw numbers.
He expressed hope that their engagement with the NLA will boost their operations back home in Nigeria.
Welcoming the team, Director General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku stressed the importance of building a very good working relationship with the Nigerian lottery sector.
According to him, that is necessary because Nigeria depends on and uses Ghana’s draw numbers because of its integrity.
Sammi Awuku averred that the relationship that exists between the two lottery industries must yield many benefits to Ghanaians as well.
He pledged the NLA’s readiness to help Nigeria build a strong lottery industry.
“It is interesting to know that Nigeria uses our draw numbers. That is because of the integrity and credibility of our system. But, in as much as Nigeria is benefiting from NLA, we hope that our working relationship will also yield something beneficial to us here in Ghana,” he said.
Sammi Awuku made references to Ivory Coast and Sierra Leon as other countries that depend on Ghana’s draw numbers and that Ghana is committed to the ECOWAS project.
“It is prudent that the two countries, Ghana and Nigeria collaborate well to earn enormous benefits from that endeavour,” he added.
According to him, a few of Ghana’s numbers have been in contention in Nigeria but hopes those matters can be resolved quickly.
He urged Nigeria to learn from what NLA does with the proceeds from gaming, which go into charity, support for sports development and the development of other sectors.
He dispelled claims that spiritualists can give out lotto numbers for people to win and warned that people engaging in such ventures are fake because “We don’t conjure numbers, it is purely a game of chance.”
The NLA Director disclosed that in the coming days, the Authority will be going stronger on anybody operating without a license.
“That also goes to those using our numbers outside Ghana. All private lotto operators must ensure that they obtain a license to do so,” he warned.
Source: The Ghanaian Publisher
