Despite a notable increase in revenue at Ghana’s National Lottery Authority (NLA) during Sammy Awuku’s tenure, the institution is facing tough questions about what happened to those funds — and one journalist says the spotlight must stay on.

Seth Bokpe, Associate Editor at The Fourth Estate, appeared on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Friday, September 26, to discuss the publication’s recent exposé on the NLA. And while he acknowledged Awuku’s success in boosting the Authority’s earnings, Bokpe had a clear message: Financial performance doesn’t cancel out the need for accountability.

“Yes, he increased revenue. He did a good job in that regard, and we’ve credited him for that,” Bokpe said. “But that doesn’t mean questions shouldn’t be asked about how those funds were used — especially when there are serious concerns about mismanagement.”

At the heart of the controversy is the Caritas Lottery platform, a special lottery stream earmarked to support the NLA’s Good Causes Foundation — a fund meant to back charitable and social development initiatives. According to Bokpe, the Caritas Lottery plays a critical role in financing the foundation’s work.

“So the Caritas is a source of funding for the Good Causes Foundation,” he explained. “Revenue raised from the Caritas Lottery is what they use in funding the Good Causes Foundation.”

Under Awuku’s leadership, Caritas revenues reportedly soared from a modest GH¢100,000 to significantly higher figures. Bokpe didn’t dispute that — in fact, he praised the effort.

“That’s not in contention,” he said. “He deserves credit for increasing the revenue.”

But Bokpe was unequivocal that success in raising money doesn’t mean a free pass when it comes to oversight.

“The fact that you’ve been successful in raising funds does not mean that when the funds are mismanaged — as we insist he did — we should stay silent,” he said.

He was also careful to draw a distinction between mismanagement and corruption, saying, “I’m not saying he’s done anything corrupt.” Still, he emphasized that the public has a right to demand transparency and proper stewardship of state funds.

The Fourth Estate’s investigation has sparked a growing national conversation around governance, transparency, and how public institutions handle funds meant for the greater good. For Bokpe, the principle is simple: Good results don’t cancel out bad practices.

Just because the money came in, doesn’t mean no one gets to ask where it went.