The NLA scandal has taken center stage in Ghana’s political discourse, raising concerns about corruption, misplaced priorities, and the blatant misuse of public funds meant for the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
Kay Codjoe, an associate volunteer at IMANI Africa and a political communicator, has weighed in on the controversy, describing it as a clear betrayal of public trust and a violation of the very principles that guided the establishment of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
According to Codjoe, when Parliament passed Act 722, it was more than just another piece of legislation. It was a social contract—a promise that a portion of lottery proceeds would be reserved for those in dire need: “the aged, the needy, the orphans, and the destitute.”
This, he said, was a rare opportunity for chance to serve compassion, ensuring that funds generated from public gaming were redirected toward those who required urgent help.
However, recent revelations by investigative outlet The Fourth Estate have painted a troubling picture of how this noble intention has been distorted.
Codjoe explained that under the so-called NLA Good Causes Foundation, millions of cedis meant for vulnerable communities were instead funneled into lavish corporate events and awards ceremonies.
“EMY Africa Awards took GHS 90,000. Ghana CEO Awards walked away with GHS 350,000. Gabby Otchere-Darko’s Africa Prosperity Network Awards received GHS 250,000. Ghana Club 100 Awards got GHS 200,000. Glitz Women of the Year was gifted GHS 80,000.”
Kay Codjoe
Even football star Asamoah Gyan received GHS 50,000 to promote his memoir, despite already living in a $3 million mansion.
Meanwhile, psychiatric hospitals remained underfunded and overcrowded, and orphanages were left struggling to survive.
The very beneficiaries for whom the law was written were given meager sums such as GHS 5,000 and GHS 7,000.
Codjoe described this as a profound moral failure, symbolizing how ordinary Ghanaians are treated as disposable assets.
“Nipa yɛ cutlery set. When elections are near, suddenly we matter. Once power is secured, the cutlery is boxed up again until the next banquet of votes.”
Kay Codjoe
Political Trails and Questionable Spending
The Fourth Estate’s investigation also revealed that the misuse of funds extended beyond corporate events. For instance, half a million cedis was reportedly spent on an astroturf project in Bantama.
Police stations were funded in areas that later became campaign grounds for Samuel Awuku, now MP for Akuapem North and formerly the Director-General of the NLA.
The Chief of Staff’s office received GHS 350,000 for Independence Day celebrations. MPs from both the ruling NDC and opposition NPP allegedly walked away with over a million cedis to fund their personal projects.
Even the Attorney General’s office collected GHS 570,000 for conferences, raising serious questions about the integrity of the very institutions tasked with upholding the law.
Entertainment was not excluded. Accra Hearts of Oak was awarded GHS 250,000, Empire Protocol received GHS 100,000 for its “Accra in Paris” event, and Black Avenue Muzik got GHS 80,000 for its “Tropical Fiesta.”
Codjoe contrasted these expenditures with the stark realities faced by Ghana’s poorest citizens, noting that while these organizations enjoyed windfalls, “orphans queued for food and psychiatric wards begged for beds.”
When pressed for answers, Samuel Awuku defended the spending, describing it as a marketing strategy.
However, Codjoe was quick to dismiss this rationale, stating, “Marketing does not clothe a child. Awards do not heal the sick. Prestige projects do not feed the hungry.”
He added that Awuku’s admission that many of the NLA’s activities would be illegal if the law were strictly followed was not a defense but a confession of wrongdoing.
Deepening Concerns Over Justice Amid NLA Scandal
Kay Codjoe also drew attention to troubling developments within the justice system, pointing to allegations involving former Attorney General Godfred Dame.
A leaked audio, admitted in court, appeared to capture Dame urging Richard Jakpa, now Director of Special Operations at National Security, to implicate Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson in the Republic v. Ato Forson and Jakpa trial.
For Codjoe, this connection is deeply symbolic. If the very office tasked with upholding justice can be accused of twisting it for political gain, then it is no surprise that funds intended to serve the vulnerable are being used to finance award nights and political projects.
“It is all one pattern. Institutions created to serve citizens end up serving the well-connected. The citizen becomes the utensil again, useful only when votes must be gathered or when public funds need justification.”
Kay Codjoe
He further warned that Ghanaians are repeatedly dusted off during election periods, given empty promises, and then discarded once political power is secured.
Citizens, he said, are conditioned to defend political parties that ultimately fail to defend them.
Codjoe concluded by asserting that the NLA Good Causes Foundation, which was meant to symbolize compassion, has instead become a glaring representation of betrayal.
“Respectfully, this is not charity. It is misplaced priorities, dressed in benevolence. And until we demand better, we will remain the cutlery in the kitchen of power, brought out for show, wiped clean of dignity, and put away in silence.”
Kay Codjoe
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