The National Democratic Congress (NDC) member of Parliament (MP) for the Akan constituency, Joseph Kwadjo Ofori aka ‘Wofa Paye’ has come under intense public criticism especially in his constituency over his alleged involvement in the operation of the illegal banker-to-banker lotto business.
Some of his accusers are therefore calling on the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and other mandated authorities to probe the allegations and stop the MP from operating the illegal business.
His constituents are particularly worried that the MP, a first-timer in Parliament has refused to stop operating the illegal business even after his election into Parliament, the same institution that illegalized the operation.
According to some of them who pleaded anonymity, the MPs business activities are an open secret in the entire Kadjebi Township and its surrounding areas, adding that all attempts to get him to quit his business have proved futile.
They further claimed the MP’s business activities are a disgrace to the constituency considering the fact that as law maker, he is expected to fight against illegal businesses that undermine national development. The accusers say the MP has initiated two of his younger brothers and his wife into the business which they noted was his main source of income long before he became an MP.
Mr. Ofori is said to be using his family house at Kadjebi for the ‘closing’ of the lotto at the end of every business day. He is also accused of using the NDC constituency official vehicle for the transportation of items for the business.
Though he was GPRTU chairman, he is said have resigned after his election as the MP but held onto his lotto business. Daily Guide gathered that Ofori used resources from the lotto business to finance his campaign and is said to have bragged about supporting the Mills campaign with GH¢5000 from the same source.
Although Parliament passed an act (Act 722 Section 4) stipulating that only the NLA could operate lotto in the country, banker to banker is still popular. Banker-to-banker operators parasite various NLA games but do not pay their taxes thereby causing government to lose a lot of revenue.
Mr. Ofori, when contacted by the paper admitted that he once operated what he called ‘private lotto’ but stopped when it was illegalized by Parliament. According to him, he was operating under the NLA until he became an MP and hence left the business for his “boys.”
He said he was recently approached on similar allegations by the NLA deputy operations manager but after clarifying the issue to him, he realized there was no merit in the allegation and urged Daily Guide to treat the matter with kid gloves.