NLA boss directed to proceed on retirement, deputy sacked

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority, Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, to proceed on retirement. His deputy, Yaw Amoakohene Baafi, has also had his appointment terminated by the President.

President Akufo-Addo, in February 2020, gave the Director-General a year contract which expired in February this year.

A letter addressed to Mr Osei-Ameyaw, and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President, said: “Upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of sixty years on 20th February 2020, the President of the Republic, by a letter under my hand dated September 3, 2020, granted you a one-year contract of service as Director-General of the National Lottery Authority. The one-year contract lapsed on 20th February 2021, and therefore you are retired on that date.”

“Accordingly you are directed to hand over to Mr Ernest Mortey, the Finance Director of the Authority who shall act as the Director-General of the Authority pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General. You are further directed to proceed to collect any terminal benefits or facilities due you under the relevant law,” the letter added.

Deputy

Also, a separate letter to the Deputy Director-General, signed by Secretary to the President, said: “Due to the re-organisation of the Authority, I am to inform you that the President has terminated your appointment with immediate effect. You are directed to proceed to collect your terminal benefits in lieu of notice”.

Demonstration

The latest development follows a recent disturbance that occurred at the headquarters of the NLA.

The local union of the Financial Business Services Employees Union (FBSEU), the National Lottery Authority (NLA) chapter, recently appealed to President Akufo-Addo not to extend the contract of Mr Osei-Ameyaw.

The union warned that his re-appointment would incur the wrath of staff and all Lotto Marketing Companies (LMC) and partners.

The staff staged a demonstration at the offices of NLA in Accra on Monday, March 1, to register their displeasure. They alleged that revenue generation of the NLA had dwindled, and there was no redemption of the same in sight, adding the Authority had for some time now defaulted in payments, which hitherto was a non-issue.

They added that the default payments included, but not limited to, payment of wins as of February 2021, claiming that the Authority had outstanding wins estimated at ¢10 million, with some dating back as far as May 2020.

“What is most embarrassing is that staff emoluments (inclusive of COS Payments) which had entrenched timelines are currently not being honored and no concrete reasons are given for such delays.

“The fiasco e-kiosk project is dead and cannot be resurrected. The CEO has surrounded himself with bodyguards (Soldiers and Police) making it difficult for staff to have access to him,” they alleged.

“Currently there is no functioning Human Resource and all Heads of Departments are in acting capacity throughout his tenure; there is no Head for the Legal department, not even an acting Head, all calculated in furtherance of his hidden agenda to run down the Authority,”

“For the past four years as Director-General of the Authority, he has only visited only three out of the 13 regional offices, this is a clear indication that staff welfare and working conditions are the least of his worries,” they alleged.

KGL to the rescue

Early this week, the management of KGL Technology Limited, a licensed online lotto marketing company, said it would soon release funds to the NLA to enable the regulator pay off outstanding winning draws.

A statement from KGL indicated that the support would help calm nerves and reduce the tension at the Authority.