The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lottery Commission

  • Confirmation: Senate bars Lottery Commission nominees from office

    Confirmation: Senate bars Lottery Commission nominees from office

    The Senate has asked the nominated National Lottery Commission, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, to stay away from office until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate.
    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki gave the order after listening to the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan on alleged assumption of duty by Gbajabiamila without Senate’s approval.
    Senator Dino Melaye had on Wednesday told the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a DG for the National Lottery Commission who has assumed duty without Senate confirmation.
    Saraki mandated Lawan to follow up Melaye’s information to establish the truth about it.
    Lawan who briefed the Senate on Thursday confirmed that “indeed the National Lottery Commission Director General has assumed duty.”
    Lawan said that the DG agreed that he assumed duty without Senate confirmation apparently in error.
    Lawan said, “The nominee for the office of the Director-General of National Lottery Regulatory Commission actually assumed office. I think he was misadvised and therefore assumed office without being confirmed. But there is a genuine appeal that such thing will not happen again. I have advised that the nominee should not be seen around the office.”

    Saraki said, “I think you will agree with me that the Leader has done a very thorough job. Not only that, he has responded promptly within 24 hours first of all to establish that the point raised by Senator Dino was factual and he got the assurances that this type of thing will not happen again.

    “We therefore stamp it out and it must not occur again. He has erred and he must probably have been misguided but definitely he must not be seen reporting in that area. Definitely, that must not happen.

    “Going forward, for nominees and the executive, we must respect our laws and our processes. Even if he did it, somebody should have been there to direct and guided him. Those who are eager to resume should tarry a while and follow the due process. We will close this matter here.”

    Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East) was not impressed.

    “I rise on the issue and the very good explanation that was brought by the Leader eloquently delivered and truly accepted. I accept it, I am not against it. I am not asking for sanction but my problems are two.

    “When you are bringing a complex matter and you are bringing it under personal explanation, for me it is misdirecting the House. This matter is a complex matter and personal explanation should not be a controversial matter. Then you are bringing major controversial matter. Somebody who is flagrantly violating the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 5(1)(b), and you just bring it under personal explanation and he finished talking and sat down as if nothing has happened.

  • Promos:Lottery Commission forces banks to redeem prizes

    As banks try to grow their depositors’ base and help promote a saving culture through lotteries, the National Lottery Commission has intervened in some bank promos to get some banks to redeem their promises to participants.

    Though the  commission boss did not mention any bank by name he urged all banks engaging in promos or planning to engage in one in the future “to keep to their words.”

    This disclosure was made by the Director-General of the National Lottery Commission Adolphous Ekpe at the first Quarterly prize presentation of the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo” of Fidelity bank in Abuja.

    Ekpe stated that the commission was set up to ensure that all those who participate in lotteries particularly promos benefit whether they win or not. According to him, “promo operators are mandated to contribute to a trust fund for a good course.”

    The lottery commission Director-General noted that lottery in Nigeria “is an economic activity that can be done by any organisation and I appeal to Nigerians interest in lotteries to participate only in approved lotteries.”

    Earlier in his address, the Deputy Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Mohammed Balarabe, said the Quarterly prize presentation of the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo” was the sixth promo the bank was involved  in in the last nine years and each promo come with a distinct theme.

    Under the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo”, Balarabe stated that “there will be 300 winners for this promo that will last till May 2017.”

    Balarabe noted that the presence of the National Lottery Commission to monitor the bank’s promos has given Fidelity bank promos credibility and integrity.

  • Lottery commission workers protest unpaid allowances

    Workers of the National Lottery Regulations Commission yesterday took to the streets of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to protest the alleged maladministration and insensitivity of the management.

    The placard-carrying workers accused authorities of the commission of not prioritising their welfare.

    They said the commission only concerns itself about the welfare of workers in the Abuja office and relegate welfare of the outstations to the background.

    According to their spokesperson, David Ajayi, the workers sat for promotion examination twice in the last six years without being promoted.

    “Our allowances and other fringe benefits, since 2011, have not been paid. The management would always tell us to make some sacrifices for our own future gains,” he said.

    But Director-General of the Commission, Adolphus Ekpe, denied the allegations, saying the commission was on the brink of regularising the appointment of some of the affected workers.

  • Lottery commission’s board inaugurated

    The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated an eight-man board for the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to reposition it.

    Inaugurating the board in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, charged the members to improve the potential and revenue generation of the commission.

    Anyim noted that the commission had not been effectively playing the role expected of it.

    “We have observed with concern that with Nigeria’s huge population and efficient mobile communication networks, lottery has not effectively played the role expected of it,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the SGF as saying during the inauguration.

    He said the commission was a veritable source of additional revenue for government to pursue good causes and provide employment, improve the lives and material conditions of the citizens.

    Anyim added that government was desirous of making the lottery industry realised its full potential as revenue generator, employment provider and facilitator of healthy social interaction among the citizens.

    “It is for these reasons that the board is constituted as partners of the government to help lottery take its place and make its contributions to our collective efforts at transforming our country.

    “I therefore charge the board to immediately hit the ground running. We expect to begin to see clear positive changes in the fortunes activities and operations of the commission soon,’’ he said.

    The SGF, however, advised the members to be credible in the discharge of their duties, adding that the Federal Government would give the board the supports require to succeed in the assignment.

    The board has Mr. Damian Dodo as chairman, while Mr. Adolphus Ekpe is the director-general of the commission.

    Malam Mohammed Annur, Alhaji Hassan Abba, Chief Vincent Aondaakaa, Chief Greg Mandu and Mr. Olugbenga Adewusi would serve as members.

    Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Dodo noted the confidence reposed in them by the government and promised that they would to carry out the assignment effectively.

     

     

  • NFC, Lottery Commission in strategic partnership

    IN a move to boost movie production in Nigeria, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) are putting heads together on the possibility of providing additional and alternative funding windows for the nation’s motion picture industry.

    This became evident when Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Corporation Mr. Afolabi Adesanya, on Tuesday, December 11 paid a visit to the Headquarters of the NLRC, Abuja. Received by Peter Igho, Director-General, of the lottery Commission, Adesanya said that the Nigerian motion picture industry was still in dire need for both direct and indirect funding to enable the sector sustains its growth. Funding of any vibrant business sector worldwide, he said, can never be said to be enough and therefore other sources of funding for the sector has become desirable.

    On his part, Igho said that the Commission will partner with the NFC in its quest to sustainably provide the enabling environment for the development of the motion picture sector. The sector, according to Igho, deserves all the attention required to strengthen its contributions to national growth and development.

    Both parties acknowledged that there were indeed other funding windows available, including lottery, which could be legitimately explored to fund the sector.