Group under the agies of Coalition for good governance and change initiative has said Gaming in Nigeria has become an industry of its own with huge potential of boosting the revenue fortune of the Country.
Speaking at a public hearing, organised by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, in Abuja. The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Okpowu Ogenyi, statement that gaming and game of chance has become more lucrative in the world despite it is forbidden in some religious. Lottery is being played in all the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
“You may recall that the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 21st November 2024 resolved a dispute between the Federal Government and the State Government.
According to him, the apex Court held that since the National Lottery Act of 2005 is in the residual list, it is the exclusive rights of the State Government to legislate on lottery and game of chance.
“I and my organization faulted the judgment on the ground that, since the game is mostly played on online, the constitutional Court of Nigeria should have pounced the online sector to be the exclusive rights of the Federal Government.
“It is true that lottery and game of chance needs adequate regulation in view of cyber security, money laundering and terrorism financing.
The Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund and the Lottery Regulatory Commission is advised to coexist for accountability and pro efficiency.
He noted that while the commission concentrates on the regulation and licencing of operators, including background check on applicants, the trust fund takes charge of the revenue accrued to the Federal Government and expend same to the benefit of Nigerians.
The major set back at the moment is the supreme Court judgement which has limited your work as a committee and the House of Representatives as whole which can only make laws for the Federal Capi Territory as far as the lottery and game of chance is involved.
Honourable Chairman Sir, the first step to be taken by the House is to cause a constitutional ammendment and remove lottery and game of chance from the residual list to the concurrent or exclusive list where this Honourable will have the powers to legislate on it.
To us, repealing the National Lottery Act and the central gaming bill is an aberration of the prouncement of the Supreme Court which may amount to contempt.
By attempting to introduce the central gaming act without first, ammending the constitution to would have moved the lottery and game of chance to the concurrent or exclusive list, the House of Representatives is setting up a dangerous precedence which the Supreme Court may wish to commit all the 360 Honourable members of this hallow chamber to the prison.
“I have highlighted some importance of the lottery and game of chance on national television severally, but my position just like what the house is attempting to do amount to wishes which does not translate to the reality on the ground that Lottery and Game of chance is in the residual list which is the exclusive right of the State governments to regulate.
“We submits that, since there is a Supreme Court judgement which clearly striped the House of Representatives of the powers to make laws for state governments except the Federal capital Territory, this bill should be thrown out pending the ammendment of the constitution which must have removed Lottery and Game of Chance to the concurrent or exclusive list.
We firmly believe that, the House, by accepting to read the Central Gaming Bill and even conducting a public hearing on it, just two months after the Supreme Court has resolved the dispute, is a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the resources spent to fund the bill including the public hearing is a waste of public funds.
While we recommend that the house cause a constitutional amendment to include Lottery and Game of Chance in the concurrent list of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we advise the House to stay far away from an already resolved dispute by the Supreme Court especially when the house clearly has no powers to intervene further.
“We also recommend that federal law makers team up with their respective State government in regulating lottery activities and game of chance pending the ammendments of the relevant sections of the constitution.
“We shall also forward the names of each members of this committee to their respective State Governors for their role to sabotage the interest of the States in violation of supreme Court judgement, which may bread anarchy in the nearest future.
