The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Awuku, says while the Authority has had its fair share of challenges, it has witnessed a 60-year journey of generating revenue for national development, touching lives, communities, and institutions as well as making its patrons millionaires.
He noted that the reforms, policies, and decisions taken by successive Boards and Director-Generals had helped to shape the premier organisation into what it is.
In his address at the 60th anniversary launch yesterday, Mr Awuku expressed confidence that “a new dawn is upon the Authority, and management looks forward with anticipation to what the future holds in this new exciting journey.”
“Mr. Chairman, from the very first draw held by the Department, which had Five Thousand Pounds (5,000.00) as the prize money, through the years of operating manually, transitioning from the Department into an Authority, with its attendant evolution into an automated system 44 years later, NLA can confidently boast of exemplifying its mandate to make all stakeholders ultimate winners,” he said.
It is in this direction that he expressed gratitude to all the Boards, Director-Generals, Directors, Management, and Staff, of the institution, both past, and present who have worked tirelessly to keep the NLA afloat.
Touching on the activities lined up for the anniversary celebration, he disclosed that October had been dedicated to its cherished customers, adding that November is slated for its Good Causes.
“In this month, we will give back to society by commissioning some projects in various parts of the country. These will be climaxed with a Grand Durbar of the Anniversary Celebration in December, held concurrently with a Conference on Responsible Gaming as we host the African Lotteries Association (ALA), “ he added.
Juristic person
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, said that 60 years of existence in any person’s life is no mean feat, noting that if the NLA were a natural person, it would be retiring from active service.
“Fortunately, NLA is a juristic person, hence this launch to commemorate this eventful milestone and also look forward to a more successful future for the organisation as a going concern,” he added.
He further said that the theme for the anniversary, “Enriching Lives Through Gaming,” is highly germane to the current lottery space since “the whole idea of lottery is a celebration of the partnership between NLA and its patrons to give every member of the staking public an exceptional lifetime opportunity.”
According to him, much of the success and popularity of the national lottery can be attributed to the combination of a chance to win and dream, and undoubtedly, this has been a huge success with the general populace.
“Even in instances where people fail to win any prizes, the thought that NLA applies the proceeds towards good causes makes this experience worthwhile,” he added.
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