Former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Awuku, has pushed back against a recent investigative report by The Fourth Estate, describing it as “lopsided” and failing to reflect the full scope of the agency’s work under its Good Causes Foundation.
The report had alleged that funds meant for the poor and orphans were instead diverted to “glamorous events and questionable enterprises.” But in a detailed response issued on Thursday, September 25, Awuku defended the NLA’s activities, highlighting the strategic nature of its spending and the significant social impact achieved over the past three years.
He acknowledged that the NLA sponsored a number of high-profile events, including the EMY Awards and Ghana CEO Summit, but firmly rejected any suggestion of mismanagement.
According to Awuku, such sponsorships made up only about 5% of the Foundation’s total budget and were intended as strategic marketing investments to attract corporate partnerships to the NLA’s Caritas Lottery Platform.
“The vast majority of our resources were channeled into life-saving and community-enhancing projects,” Awuku said. “We built toilet facilities and boreholes in multiple regions, supported hospitals with vital equipment, and funded education and youth development initiatives that benefited thousands.”
Between 2021 and 2024, the Caritas Platform reportedly grew its revenue from just GHS 100,000 to over GHS 11 million — a figure Awuku pointed to as evidence of the initiative’s success and its ability to fund critical interventions in health, education, sports, and culture.
Highlighted projects included the construction of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Ghana Hospital, scholarships for brilliant but needy students, support for mental health institutions, and sponsorship for both men’s and women’s football teams.
Criticising the report’s framing, Awuku said The Fourth Estate had focused disproportionately on event sponsorships while ignoring the broader impact of the Foundation’s work — which, he noted, had directly benefitted over one million people.
“It was a lopsided story,” he remarked, defending the Authority’s record and stressing the transparency and accountability of its initiatives.
Awuku also refuted claims that awards won at the sponsored events were purchased. He clarified that many award nominations were declined, and those accepted were in honour of the collective work of NLA staff.
“The record shows we moved the Authority from losses to profitability, expanded our reach, and touched lives in real, measurable ways. That is the legacy I leave behind,” he concluded.
He further referenced the World Lottery Association’s global endorsement of national lotteries as tools for good causes, insisting that the NLA had operated within its legal mandate as set out in the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722).
Background
The NLA Good Causes Foundation was established in 2021 to consolidate the Authority’s corporate social responsibility efforts, focusing on four thematic areas: health, education, youth and sports, and culture. Funding for the Foundation comes from proceeds generated through the Caritas Lottery Platform.
The Fourth Estate’s report has reignited national debate about how state agencies manage public funds earmarked for vulnerable populations, with calls for greater transparency and accountability.
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