Fourth Estate Misrepresented NLA Sponsorships as Good Causes Spending – Sammi Awuku

Former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Samuel Awuku, has accused investigative outlet The Fourth Estate of misrepresenting the Authority’s financial operations in its recent report.

According to Mr. Awuku, the publication deliberately blurred the lines between marketing sponsorships undertaken by the NLA and disbursements from the Good Causes Foundation, creating a misleading impression about the Authority’s expenditure.

In a statement responding to the report, Mr. Awuku expressed disappointment that despite granting the journalists an interview on August 18, 2025, their final publication failed to reflect the broader context of the NLA’s structure and achievements.

He clarified that the NLA Caritas Lottery Platform, established under the National Lotto Act, is the Authority’s main revenue-generating arm, with Corporate Ghana as its key stakeholder. Sponsorships for high-profile events such as the Africa Prosperity Dialogue and the Ghana CEO Summit, he explained, were strategic marketing initiatives by the NLA’s Marketing Department—not expenditures from the Good Causes Foundation.

“The association with these brands brought several benefits to the NLA, including brand awareness and visibility, which positioned the Authority to pitch its brand to industry leaders for collaborations. These partnerships in turn grew the Caritas Lottery Platform, which funds the Good Causes Foundation,” he stated.

Mr. Awuku added that through this strategy, the Caritas Platform expanded from a negligible base to generating over GHS 11 million between 2021 and 2024. He described The Fourth Estate’s claims as “mischief,” insisting they were designed to erode public trust by conflating revenue-generation activities with charitable disbursements.