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Arrest And Prosecute Foreigners Operating Banker-To-Banker-GNCLBBLOA Urges NLA, Police

By GIDEON DUODU
Crime & Punishment Mr. Frank Adjei
MAY 23, 2018 LISTEN
Mr. Frank Adjei

The Leader and Founder of the Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents (GNCLBBLOA),Mr. Frank Adjei has urged the National Lottery Authority and the Ghana Police service to arrest and prosecute foreigners who have invaded the operation of lotto business, especially private lotto (Banker-To-Banker) in the country.

According to Mr. Frank Adjei who addressed the media at a press conference, the Private Lotto Act,2006(Act 722) strictly prohibits foreigners from engaging in any form of lotto business operation in the country.

He pointed out that nationals from Nigeria, China, and other countries have been fingered in the investigation conducted by his outfit. He cited one Vitarex Odele, popularly Known as Olembe, a Nigerian as a foreigner who is illegally operating Lotto Business in the Brong-Ahafo Region, this he described as highly unacceptable.

“We have laws that prohibit foreign nationals from engaging in any form of lotto business operations in Ghana yet these recalcitrant Nigerians and Chinese have disobeyed our laws and have invaded the lotto in our country. We are drawing the attention of the National Lottery Authority to these unscrupulous activities of these foreign nationals in our country’’, he pointed out

Mr. Frank Adjei noted that his outfit alone has about 200 Lotto Agents, 170 Lotto Sub-Agents, and over 150, 000 Lotto Writers across Ghana. This number makes it the largest and strongest Banker to Banker Lotto Group in Ghana.

Regarding the payment of Licensing fee to the National Lottery Authority, It is clear that Mr. Frank Adjei was the first Private Lotto Operator in Ghana to have paid the One Million Ghana Cedis on 15 th March 2018.

The Board of NLA ordered the Leaders for all the various groups of Banker to Banker Lottery to submit their proposals to the NLA for discussion in order to finalize the License fees for the Operators, Agents and Writers of Banker to Banker Lottery.

The Founder and leader of GNCLBBLOA made it known, he was the only Lotto Operator who suggested the least amount of money (GHC 200, 000) as a nationwide licensing fee for Private Lotto Operators to the Board of NLA. According to him, all the other Lotto Operators and Agents who are now attacking Mr. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw and NLA over the One Million Ghana Cedis as Licensing 2 Fees suggested the highest amount of GHC 500, 000 per Region as Licensing Fees for Private Lotto Operators to the Board of NLA.

“Honestly speaking, the Lotto Operators and Agents who are now attacking Kofi Osei-Ameyaw over the One Million Ghana Cedis are not been truthful to themselves, the media, Government and Ghanaians in general because if NLA has agreed to accept the GHC 500,000 License Fees per Region as suggested by these Lotto Operators and Agents at the NLA Board Meeting, then it means that every Lotto Operator who want to operate nationwide.

Mr. Frank Adjei said Instead of paying Five Million Ghana Cedis as licensing fees to operate the whole Country, the NLA drastically reduced the fees to One Million Ghana Cedis. “We have to be grateful to Kofi Osei-Ameyaw and the Board of NLA over this decision but some people are rather destroying the reputation of Kofi Osei-Ameyaw over the One Million Ghana Cedis. He fumed”, he applauded the NLA Director.

He used the opportunity to commend Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Director-General of National Lottery Authority for taking pragmatic steps to register and license the Operators, Agents and Writers of Banker to Banker Lottery under the Public-Private Partnership in accordance with the National Lotto Act, 2006(Act 722).

Mr. Frank Adjei, however, indicated that the leadership of Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents would like the Board of NLA as a matter of urgency to address the following concerns in order to strengthen the operations and administration of the National Lottery Authority:

Firstly, the NLA should arrest Nigerians, Chinese and other foreign nationals who are operating Lotto business in Ghana especially the foreign nationals operating Banker to Banker Lottery. We are urging the NLA and Ghana Police Service to arrest and prosecute Vitarex Odele popularly Known as Olembe, a Nigerian who is illegally operating Lotto Business in the Brong-Ahafo Region. This is highly unacceptable.

No foreigner is permitted to operate any form of Lottery in Ghana under the National Lotto Act, 2006(Act 722).

Secondly, We are expecting the Board to be proactive and come up with measures, action plan and policies towards arresting the recalcitrant Ghanaian Lotto Operators, Agents and Writers who are refusing to pay the License fees to the National Lottery Authority.

Thirdly ‘ that, the 6pm to 6:30pm Draw is negatively affecting the operations of Lotto business, finances of Lotto Marketing Companies, LMCB2B and subsequently reducing the revenue of the National Lottery Authority. We would like to appeal to the NLA to consider drawing between 6:50pm to 7pm. This will enable more people to stake Lotto from both the Lotto Marketing Companies and LMCB2B.

Again, We would like to urge the Board of NLA to speed up the process of issuing the LMCB2B License Certificate to Mr. Frank Adjei as quickly as possible since he has fully paid his License Fees of One Million Ghana Cedis to the National Lottery Authority on 15 th March 2018.

Lastly, The Ministry of Finance should empower Kofi Osei-Ameyaw to embark on a nationwide tour to clarify issues, doubts and conspiracy theories against the operations and management of the Lotto business in Ghana especially the procedures for acquiring license to operate lottery in Ghana. President Akufo Addo and Ministry of Finance should fully support Kofi Osei-Ameyaw to succeed at the National Lottery Authority.

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