Pay Outstanding Liabilities or Risk Revocation of Licence, FG Tells Lottery Business Operators

Segun James

Following the boom in the lottery and gaming industry, the federal government has warned operators in the industry to pay all their outstanding liabilities or risk revocation of their operating licenses.

This was stated by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs,  George Akume, at the back-to-school jump-start project initiated by the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, in collaboration with the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) with the theme: “No School Left Behind,” at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Akume said the lottery and gaming industry has generated a lot of jobs for Nigerians and has increased the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

Akume, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Lottery Trust Fund, Dr. Bello Maigari, said the federal government would continue to work with the National Assembly to improve and regulate the industry.

The minister praised Gbajabiamila for initiating the project in line with the federal government’s commitment to boost the learning capacity of students through the use of technology.

“Today’s event underscores the commitment and determination and promise of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to improve the capacity of students to learn and excel in their studies,” he said.

Akume said the government would continue to do everything necessary to improve the standard of education in the country.

In his remarks, Maigari, who is the Executive Secretary of the Lottery Trust Fund, commended Gbajabiamila for partnering with the fund on the project.

Maigari, whose speech was read by Mr. Sule Tegina, said that the project would boost the capacity of schools in the area of digital teaching, learning and sanitation.

He said: “The programme seeks to help improve the current capacity of schools in the area of good hygiene practice through the provision of basic sanitary and standard modern teaching and modern learning aids for promoting standard is in tandem with global practice,” adding that the mandate of the fund was to take custody of 20 per cent of national lottery and gaming operations to execute development projects.

Speaking later, Gbajabiamila regretted the negative impact of the COVID 19 on the nation’s education sector, saying the consequence is devastating.

He put the global statistics of the number of deaths from COVID-19 worldwide at 6,089,484 with school aged adult being a substantial number of the victims, adding that while the health implications of the pandemic are all too obvious, its consequences for education are subtle but nonetheless devastating.

He said: “However, statistics are scarce as to how many children have dropped out of school due to the pandemic, especially in countries with developing economies. Even where learning seems to have continued uninterrupted, it is hard to evaluate the educational disadvantages stemming from inadequate infrastructure for virtual teaching.

“For students in Nigerian public schools, the lockdown in 2020 was a huge academic setback. Thus, the Jump-Start Project is designed to mitigate the disadvantage caused by the lack of digital infrastructure in public schools, as well as ensure that there are no breaks in teaching and learning in the event of future reoccurrence.

“It is the silver bullet that lifts people out of poverty, encourages a broader perspective that expands their world view and allows them to engage critically with the questions that determine the course of civilisation, innovation, and human progress.

“In this 21st century, the problems of poverty and war, of healthcare and climate change can only be solved by empowering the greatest number of people to independently seek knowledge and the confidence to challenge settled questions and pursue new approaches to solving old problems. As government, we are committed to building back a better and stronger educational system, which will be resistant to the eventualities of the new normal and personally, I am committed to improve the lives and livelihoods of my constituents through education.

“A key to achieving this is the normalisation of digital learning and personal sanitation in public schools. Nigeria, and indeed Africa, has been short-changed by the roll-over effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.”