Staff members of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) have sought the federal government’s intervention following the Supreme Court’s judgment nullifying the National Lottery Act 2005, enacted by the National Assembly.
Some workers made this appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, according to a NAN report on Saturday.
Nairametrics previously reported that the apex court’s verdict, delivered in the last quarter of 2024, was based on the grounds that the Act was enacted contrary to the legislative powers of the National Assembly.
The judgment followed a long-running suit initiated in 2008 by the Lagos State government against the Federal Government, seeking a determination of who should control and regulate the lottery and gaming sector.
In a unanimous ruling, a seven-member panel of the apex court agreed with Lagos State’s argument, holding that the National Assembly lacked the authority to legislate on matters related to lotteries and games of chance.
The apex court consequently quashed the National Lottery Act in its entirety for contravening the 1999 Constitution.
Lottery Commission Workers React
Reacting to the development, some workers, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed frustration over their redundancy, stating that they report to work daily only to remain idle.
- They voiced concerns about their current state of inactivity and urged the federal government to intervene promptly by facilitating and expediting their redeployment to other agencies.
- One of the workers admitted that they were still receiving their monthly salaries but expressed concerns about their future.
“The court’s decision took us by surprise, and we understand that, by the provisions of the Constitution, the Supreme Court’s judgment is final.
“The situation has not affected our monthly pay, but our fate remains uncertain, and it has rendered us unproductive.
“I am appealing to our parent ministry and the federal government to intervene swiftly,” the worker said.
- A management staff member of the commission disclosed that their Director-General, Lanre Gbajabiamila, had written to President Bola Tinubu and other relevant authorities, requesting their intervention in the redeployment of workers to other government agencies.
“The situation is that we are awaiting redeployment to other agencies.
“The former DG has written to the President and copied the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation regarding the redeployment,” the staff member said.
- He added that Commission workers were now awaiting the federal government’s acknowledgment of their request and a presidential directive regarding their redeployment.
What You Should Know
Speaking to Nairametrics in an exclusive interview, legal experts had described the Supreme Court’s judgment as a welcome development but also a “double-edged sword,” necessitating further regulatory measures and harmonization of state laws.
- The ruling comes several weeks after President Bola Tinubu launched a comprehensive 2024-2028 Strategic Plan aimed at repositioning the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) for more effective delivery of community-oriented projects.
- During the unveiling of the Fund at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, representing the President, stated:
“Through the National Lottery Trust Fund, the President believes that help will reach many Nigerians, providing support to vulnerable individuals and communities.”
The Fund is a federal government agency established under the now-nullified National Lottery Act 2005 to manage a percentage of proceeds from national lottery operations in Nigeria. As stipulated in Section 24(3) of the Act, these funds were to be utilized for projects benefiting the public.
Section 40(a) of the Act outlined these projects to include:
- The advancement, upliftment, and promotion of sports development
- Education
- Social services and public welfare
- Disaster relief and management
In 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Finance initiated an inquiry into the National Lottery Trust Fund, following allegations that its internally generated revenue (IGR) of N2.5 billion had been misappropriated.
Lawmakers suspected that officials in charge of the Fund had diverted the revenue for personal use.
Committee Chairman James Faleke issued a directive for the inquiry during an interactive session on the 2024-2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.
