Delving into the heart of the recent confusion surrounding the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) is like untangling a web of misinformation. Social media has been buzzing with a report that is very well more fiction than fact, painting the NLRC in a dubious light, once again. So, the NLRC took it upon itself to set the record straight and separate the wheat from the chaff.
Here’s the crux of the matter: a social media report has been making rounds, claiming the NLRC generated N6.3 billion in 2022 but didn’t remit a single Naira, even suggesting a deficit of N252 million. This report has raised quite a few eyebrows and ruffled some feathers, given that the NLRC is fully funded by the Federal Government. But hold your horses – the NLRC says this report isn’t about them at all.
NLRC: Defending Its Reputation
The Commission is not one to take such allegations lying down. They’ve come out swinging, defending their hard-earned reputation for trust and credibility. In their words, these “deliberate attempts to mislead” are troubling, to say the least. They’re crystal clear in their stance: the NLRC has nothing to do with the allegations of fund misappropriation pointed at the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF).
So, where did all this confusion start? It turns out the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Channels Television got their wires crossed. They accidentally named the NLRC instead of the NLTF in their reports about a National Assembly Committee on Finance interrogation. Both channels have since put their hands up and apologized for the mix-up.
The Plot Thickens
But there’s always someone ready to stir the pot. Some folks with less-than-noble intentions are exploiting this error to drag the Commission into a controversy that’s not theirs to own. The NLRC is also calling out the exaggerated claims about the Nigerian lottery industry’s value, dismissing them as sensationalist and unfounded.
The NLRC is looking ahead and planning to launch the Central Monitoring System (CMS) to keep an eagle eye on all lottery activities in Nigeria. This system is critical to providing accurate revenue figures, and until it’s up and running, the NLRC urges caution against throwing around unverified numbers.
