The Former Public Relations Officer of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Razak Kojo Opoku, has once again challenged the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its investigative arm, The Fourth Estate, to produce evidence backing their allegation that the NLA “handed over” a GH₵3 billion business to a private company.
The renewed challenge comes nearly a year after The Fourth Estate published a report accusing the NLA of transferring a multi-billion-cedi operation to private gaming firm, KGL Technology Limited.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Opoku accused MFWA Executive Director Sulemana Braimah and The Fourth Estate of failing to substantiate the claim with verifiable data.
“Almost a year now, this dishonest dude has not been able, through facts, data and audited accounts of NLA, to substantiate this unfounded allegation that the NLA was generating GH₵3 billion business and gave it away to a private company,” he wrote.
Mr. Opoku further alleged that sections of the media were pursuing “interest-driven investigative journalism” intended to tarnish the reputation of indigenous Ghanaian businesses.
The controversy stems from a Fourth Estate publication which claimed the NLA had ceded a GH₵3 billion business to KGL and raised questions about the Authority’s financial stewardship.
Responding in an earlier interview, Mr. Opoku dismissed the report as “factually incorrect and misleading.” He insisted the NLA had never generated GH₵3 billion in a year and therefore could not have transferred such an amount.
“It is totally untrue and misleading for anyone to suggest that NLA gave away a GH₵3 billion business. The NLA does not even generate that amount annually,” he said.
Citing financial records, he noted that the Authority’s total revenue between 2017 and 2020 was approximately GH₵1.47 billion, against expenditure of about GH₵1.385 billion within the same period.
He added that annual revenues from 2012 to 2016 ranged between GH₵242 million and GH₵402 million. “The Authority had never generated as much as GH₵500 million in any single year during that period. When the figures show clearly that NLA has never generated GH₵3 billion, it beats logic for any media organisation to make such a claim,” he argued.
Licence Agreement, Not a Handover – NLA
On the NLA’s relationship with KGL, Mr. Opoku clarified that it is governed by a licensing agreement, not a procurement contract.
“KGL works under the regulatory supervision of NLA and has partnered the Authority for about seven years to help improve revenue generation,” he explained. “It is a licence agreement, not a procurement contract. KGL has contributed to efforts aimed at enhancing revenue mobilisation.”
Debate Over Investigative Journalism
The dispute has reignited public debate on the accuracy of financial reporting on public institutions and the responsibility of the media to ensure rigorous fact-checking before publishing allegations with major economic implications.
