A Civil Society Organisation, Action for Justice and Transparency against Corrupt Practices (AJTAC) has called for the suspension and probe of the Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, over alleged corruption.
Making the call in a statement, AJTAC’s chairman, Mr Felix Nwankwo, said the DG should be suspended to allow for proper investigation just like the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority was asked to step aside over the allegations against her.
He lamented that despite being in existence for 10 years, the commission was only able to generate less than N10 billion, adding that when the current DG was appointed in 2015, there were high hopes that he would significantly change the trend and fulfil the mandate for which the commission was set up.
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He said the DG brought with him conflict of interest having being a DG with the Lagos Lottery Board.
“Lottery industry watchers would recall it was during his tenure as DG Lottery Board and the present Vice President then as Lagos State Commissioner of Justice that they took the NLRC to court challenging FGs jurisdiction to collect statutory remittance due to government,” Nwankwo said.
He said the allegations all over the media against the DG, including conspiring with some staff of the commission to transfer money from government’s purse to individual accounts, need to be properly investigated.
“Detailed and specific accounts disclosed brazen deceit, financial fraud, and impunity on behalf of the Director-General. This report was contained in a petition to EFCC and the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs,” he said adding that EFCC invited over 20 staff of the commission.
“Do you know that for two weeks the Commission operations were suspended and the Finance and Account Department closed,” Nwankwo said, adding that Nigerians expected the Minister of Special Duties or the Ministry to suspend the DG to allow for effective investigation, or send a memo to the presidency to that effect.
Nwankwo also alleged that the governing board of the commission had met on Monday 13th September 2021 without any resolution bearing on the allegations against the DG.
“This is therefore a clarion call to Mr President to save the Lottery Industry that holds enormous potentials”.
Nwankwo said the DG’s continued tenure at the commission threatens the integrity of the president’s war against corruption, adding, “other government officials have been dismissed for far less allegations than the current allegations against the DG.
“Government must make another example of the DG to demonstrate its continued anti-corruption commitment to demonstrate that no one is above the law.”
When contacted, the NLRC spokesman, Mr. Magnus Ekechukwu, neither returned a call nor replied to a text message sent to his mobile phone number.
However, a staff who does not want his name mentioned because he does not speak for the commission, dismissed the allegations against the DG.
He said the DG recently embarked on partnerships with anti-corruption agencies to tackle fraud and that all earnings due to government on lottery were collected with precision.
