KGL has rejected claims by The Fourth Estate that the Presidential Committee’s conclusion on the National Lottery Authority (NLA) – KGL deal aligns with its earlier publications, insisting the committee explicitly called for renegotiation and continuation of the contract, not termination.
The response follows renewed commentary from The Fourth Estate, which has consistently described the NLA-KGL agreement as “terrible” and demanded its abrogation since the issue first emerged in the public domain.
Committee Called for Renegotiation, Not Cancellation
According to KGL, President John Dramani Mahama constituted the Committee in the spirit of transparency and accountability to “clear all doubts” surrounding the agreement.
The company said the Committee’s recommendation was markedly different from what The Fourth Estate had campaigned for.
“The Committee set up by the President rather called for the stay of the contract and the subsequent renegotiation of the financials to benefit the Republic, not only the NLA,” KGL stated.
The company argued that this position contradicts The Fourth Estate’s initial demand for outright cancellation of the deal, describing any attempt to equate the two positions as factually incorrect.
“Barefaced Lies” and Misrepresentation Alleged
KGL accused The Fourth Estate of “peddling barefaced lies” by suggesting the Committee’s findings validated its reporting.
“It must be unequivocally stated that it is absolutely FALSE for anyone at The Fourth Estate to claim that the Committee’s conclusion was consistent with the revelations made by the Fourth Estate in its series of publications against KGL,” the company said.
It further noted that The Fourth Estate and its surrogates “never backed” their characterization of the deal as terrible “with any reasonable conclusion or substantial evidence.” The company questioned why the media organization has now shifted tone from demanding abrogation to implying it supported renegotiation.
“The Fourth Estate maliciously and mischievously labelled the KGL-NLA deal as terrible and called for the abrogation of the deal. It never called for renegotiation. Why the backtracking? Why not be truthful?” KGL asked.
Renegotiation is a Legal and Commercial Process
Addressing ongoing discussions, KGL emphasized that the renegotiation is a structured legal and commercial exercise, not a media debate.
“Renegotiations are NOT done on social media or at the headquarters of The Fourth Estate. This is an important national exercise, devoid of sensationalism, propaganda, and the twisting of narratives,” it stressed.
The company added that all parties to the agreement are committed to the process and are respecting the legal rights of each stakeholder. It said if The Fourth Estate were central to the matter, it would have been included in the ongoing renegotiation.
“No one at The Fourth Estate or among its surrogates can pressure the Committee, which has the mandate, to rush and interfere with its professional work on the renegotiation of the NLA-KGL deal,” KGL stated.
Commitment to Ghana and Indigenous Business
KGL, which is a headline sponsor of the Ghana Black Stars, reiterated its commitment to the Republic and to supporting national development through sports and revenue generation.
“KGL, a proud headline sponsor of the Ghana Black Stars, is fully committed to the Republic and will never waste its time on those who seek to undermine and destroy indigenous businesses, as is the habit of The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa,” the company concluded.
The company also expected an “unqualified apology” from The Fourth Estate for what it described as years of unsubstantiated attacks, “if not for cheap sentimentalism and parochialism.”
The NLA-KGL deal has been the subject of public debate and parliamentary scrutiny for months, with government maintaining that a renegotiated agreement will better protect national interest while preserving the partnership.
Source; Razak Kojo Opoku ( PhD )
