Institutional transformation-the Sammi Awuku factor at NLA

No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, you would agree with me that Sammi Awuku has been a breath of fresh air at the National Lottery Authority(NLA).

Indeed, since his arrival at the NLA exactly a year ago, Sammi Awuku has maintained his sky-high approval rating associated with his politics and has stood out, perhaps more than ever, as a potent performer.

With just one year at the helm of affairs as the Director General, early judgments of Sammi Awuku's place in history are more positive than negative - Mr. Awuku has got off to a good start and there's every indication that he is going to leave a solid legacy.

In assessing Sammi Awuku's problem-solving efforts, I would say he has made progress toward solving major problems facing the NLA.
Mr. Awuku took over the reins of leadership at the NLA at the time the institution was in complete comatose.

The situation was so dire that staff of the authority had withdrawn their services over non-payment of salaries and lottery wins for several months. As a matter of fact, the National Labour Commission had to step in to douse the raging fire.

One year on, the story has changed profoundly - Oh yeah, breathing life into an organization that desperately needed it isn't a child's play, but then, eager to turn things around, the new Sammi Awuku administration quickly addressed the labor situation that heralded his appointment, and immediately provided a salubrious working environment for the staff to improve the efficiency of work.

Very much aware that a motivated staff can go a long way to impact the work of the institution, a number of measures were put in place to train the staff including incentive packages.

Again, not oblivious of the fact that people derive value, staff motivation was shored up to some unprecedented levels. And with the belief that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the new management under Sammi Awuku set out to work assiduously in order to bring back the confidence that people had in the authority and ensure that it sets out to execute its mandate.

As of now, the NLA has an upgraded and very interactive website that can be easily accessed by all persons for information with regards to its activities. Essentially, the NLA is using technology to reinvigorate and improve lotteries, particularly draw-based games.

In addition to the far-reaching innovations being rolled out, the NLA has been working with lottery distributors in partnership, sharing more information and data than ever before, enabling them to forecast revenue streams better, and also enabling retailers (big and small) to thrive. NLA now has extensive retail networks in the Ghanaian markets and this is substantially growing the proceeds of the NLA for Good Causes.

Sammi Awuku is ambitiously forging a new kind of leadership at the NLA and has over the last year welcomed the Ghanaian people to join the NLA on this exciting new journey for Lotteries.

For the first time in its history, the NLA has become a case study for other Lottery Authorities across the sub-region and these countries are heading here to learn more about how Mr. Awuku is getting the job done.

More importantly, the NLA under Sammi Awuku is supporting more communities through corporate social responsibility and engaging in humanitarian projects across the country.

It is quite clear that the NLA under Sammi Awuku is working for all, and for me, I am excited at this fantastic way in which he is breathing new life into one of our treasured institutions.

I’m elated to tell readers that these evaluations are far more positive than what we can actually see. In the public’s view, Awuku will be remembered more for excellence than other aspects of his leadership.