Samuel Awuku, the former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), has accused The Fourth Estate of a fundamental and deliberate error in its recent investigation, stating the media outlet has mischievously conflated strategic marketing expenditures with the core funds of the NLA Good Causes Foundation.
In a detailed rebuttal, the Akuapem North MP expressed disappointment that despite granting an interview to the outlet on August 18, 2025, the resulting publication was a “lopsided story that omits the significant impact made by the Foundation.” He argued that the report’s central claim is based on a misunderstanding of the NLA’s structure.
Awuku provided crucial context, explaining that the NLA Caritas Lottery Platform, established under the National Lotto Act, is the revenue-generating arm. “The NLA Caritas Platform has Corporate Ghana as its primary stakeholder,” he stated. Sponsorships for events like the Africa Prosperity Dialogue and Ghana CEO Summit were, therefore, Marketing Department initiatives to attract key industry players.
“The association with these brands brought several benefits to the NLA, including increased brand awareness and visibility, which helped the Authority pitch its brand to industry leaders for stakeholder collaborations, thereby generating revenue for the Caritas Lottery Platform, which in turn, funds the Good Causes Foundation,” Awuku explained.
He revealed that this strategy grew the Caritas Platform from a negligible kitty to generating over GHS 11 million between 2021 and 2024. He framed the report as “mischief,” designed to mislead the public by blurring the lines between essential revenue-generation activities and the charitable disbursements they enable.
Sammi Awuku served as the director general of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) from 2021 to January 2025. Until his latest appointment, Awuku served as the board chairman of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), a specialized government agency with a mandate to coordinate and facilitate employment opportunities for young people in Ghana.
The NLA, where Awuku served, is a public service institution designed to provide a corporate platform that encourages creativity, innovation, and best management practices.
The Authority was first established as the Department of National Lotteries in 1958, with a mandate to organise prize raffles for the public. In 1960, the Lotto and Betting Act (Act 94) was passed into law to introduce a lottery in Ghana, with the aim of generating revenue to support national development.
Over the past 50 years, the NLA has evolved into an autonomous public service institution with a legal monopoly over the organisation of lotteries in Ghana.
It is one of the single most important contributors to government revenue and a key avenue to employment. In 2006, the passage of the National Lottery Act (Act 722) gave birth to the National Lottery Authority
