Suit Against Lottery Commission in Bad Taste, Says Institute

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The International Institute of Experts on Political Economy and Administration has described the move by some governors to close down the National Lottery Commission as ill conceived.
It said that any move to scrap the lottery commission will not only hurt the country’s economic interest but will push an estimated 20,000 Nigerians into the unemployment market.
The Executive Vice President for Africa Affairs, International Institute of Experts on Political Economy and Administration, Prof. Tunji John Asaolu, expressed concern when he spoke to journalists, Monday, on the relevance of federal institutions to economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The National Lottery Commission was established by an Act of the National Assembly to regulate the betting and gaming sector while the Trust Fund is to collect all the relevant revenue due to the federal government of Nigeria and utilize same to the benefit of Nigerians.
However about 21 states’ Attorneys General have gone to the Supreme Court seeking the apex court to scrap the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund while 16 states are in support that the federal government should continue to collect the revenue since it is being shared among the 36 states and the FCT on monthly bases.
Asaolu who said the institute was concerned about the impact the Lottery Commission is having on the revenue generation in the country, noted that revenue earnings from the sector have been deployed for the benefit of Nigerians.
He said: “It is pertinent to note that, the federal government through its agency, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission shares the federal government generated revenue to the 36 States and the FCT on monthly bases.
“Most States in Nigeria survive mainly on federal allocation to run its affairs as Internally Generated Revenue in most non-oil producing states are not sufficient to complement the federal government’s efforts in improving the states infrastructure and social development.”
Asaolu said that the affected agencies of the federal government have over 20,000 staff under the pay roll who will lose their jobs should the entities be scrapped.
He accused those seeking to shut down the lottery commission of acting a script designed by external sponsors.
He also alleged that some of foreign operators of the betting business usually short-change the federal government.
Further according to him, “It is worthy of note that over the years lottery operators have deliberately shortchanged the federal government by refusing to remit the due revenue of 27.5 and 25 % to the government respectively, hence the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has taken the bull by the horn in automating the revenue sector of the lottery industry.
“This is an opportunity that will harness the huge revenue in the betting and gaming sector which shall improve the revenue base of the country.”
Asaolu said that BetNaija is owned by the Russian government, Ghana Games is owned by the Ghanaian government, while Baba Ijebu is owned by the Australian government just to mention but a few.
He said that these operators are not comfortable with the manner the federal government is regulating the sector and not allowing them free access

He further said that some of the operators are also worried that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is monitoring their operations as it relates to compliance to regulations.