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Pressure group, Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to review the contractual agreements of the two lotto marketing companies (LMCs)—Lot Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited—at National Lottery Authority (NLA) to save more revenue for the state.

Addressing a crowded press conference in Accra at the weekend, founder and President of CVM, Mr Razak Kojo Opoku, said if President Akufo-Addo, the Ministry of Finance and the Board of NLA do not review the contracts of these two companies there was absolutely no way the board and management of NLA led by Mr. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw would succeed to implement President Akufo-Addo’s vision of revenue maximisation for development and jobs creation at the NLA.

He accused the two lotto marketing companies of being supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and therefore, doing everything possible to sabotage efforts of the board and management of NLA. “As usual, l want to state that the owner of the two companies in the person of Mr Kojo Graham supported by the NDC members and the Deputy Director-General of NLA, Mr Yaw Amoakohene Baafi, appointed by the NPP government are doing everything possible to sabotage the efforts of the board and management of the NLA.”

He added that it did not make sense for the NLA to pay Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited much more money than what the NLA pays into the Consolidated Fund. “The NLA has been and continues to operate to the utmost benefit of Mr Kojo Graham’s Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited. Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited have been enjoying 6% commission on the gross sales of NLA on daily basis,” he stressed.

According to him, the erstwhile NDC administration led by John Dramani Mahama created a ‘monster’ at the National Lottery Authority with Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited.

To continue to protect their business interest at the NLA, he pointed out that Mr Graham’s Lots Services Ghana Limited was employing the strategy of blackmail as a tool to run down the board and Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Mr Opoku indicated. “President Akufo-Addo’s government is too wise to fall for the lies of Mr Kojo Graham’s Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited.

The NPP government is not as vulnerable as the John Mahama’s administration. “…we entreat the Ministry of Finance, the board and management of NLA led by Kofi Osei-Ameyaw to demonstrate good leadership by reviewing and possibly terminate the contract of Mr Kojo Graham’s Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited.

“The NLA cannot continue to work to enrich individuals at the detriment of the nation. NLA on monthly basis pays Mr Kojo Graham’s Lots Services Ghana Limited and Simnet Ghana Limited around GHS8 million as against the NLA’s monthly profit of less than GHS2 million. This mode of transaction is seriously bleeding the NLA and the nation. NLA is only working to enrich and financially empower Mr Kojo Graham.”