The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) at the weekend vowed to enforce the provisions of the Act setting up the organisation, insisting that its recent clampdown on Nigerian Breweries (NB) plc was done within the ambit of the law.
The commission was reacting to an earlier statement by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), which had described the shutting down of business of NB nationwide as illegal since there was a pending case in court involving the regulator and the company.
According to the commission in a statement signed by Magnus Ekechukwu, head, public affairs, the NLRC enabling Act 2005 (as amended) and the National Lottery Regulation, 2007, the interest of the Lottery Commission is to ensure that organisations who wish to carry out lottery operations comply with the provisions of the Lottery Act and not carry out such lotteries without due regards to the law.
“In a bid to discharge its mandate as empowered by the National Lottery Act, 2005 (as amended) and the National Lottery Regulation, 2007, the director-general, NLRC, Lanre Gbajabiamila, said that the commission would continue the clamp down on all illegal lottery operators anywhere they be found within the shores of Nigeria.
The commission alleged that the Nigerian Breweries conducted promotional lotteries valued at about N1.3 billion but failed to regularise such promo lotteries as required by law, thereby denying the Federal Government of over N326 million revenue.
“The NB continued to rebuff attempts by the commission to get them to comply. It is our duty to enforce to ensure the Federal Government is not short-changed in the transactions. The commission acted within its mandate. On the claim by NECA, it is public record that there is no pending action against the commission.
“The case filed in 2012 –Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/306/2012 was dismissed by the court. Therefore, the claims by NECA that NLRC showed disregard to the rule of law in the discharge of its lawful duty, is not only mischievous, but an attempt to distort the facts in order to deceive the general public,” he said.
The commission said it would not be distracted in its bid to rid the country of all illegal lottery and promotional activities, whether in the manufacturing, financial, telecommunication or any other sector.
It said following its action, the NB was in dialogue with the commission to rectify the breaches that led to its closure, saying, “It made a written undertaken on its willingness to cooperate with the commission. Their offices have been temporarily reopened for operation pending the outcome of discussions with the management.”
