News Guide Africa

Tag: Fourth Estate

  • RTI exemptions bar release of NLA-KGL report to media – Political Strategist opines

    RTI exemptions bar release of NLA-KGL report to media – Political Strategist opines

    Public commentary surrounding the Right to Information (RTI) request for the Interministerial Committee Report on the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and KGL Technology Limited deal has drawn strong pushback from political strategist and academic Dr. Razak Kojo Opoku.

    Dr. Opoku has criticized investigative outlet The Fourth Estate for pushing to access the report, arguing that statutory exemptions under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) explicitly restrict the disclosure of active government deliberations and sensitive commercial negotiations.

    According to Dr. Opoku, KGL Technology Limited, the primary private entity involved in the renegotiations, has not even received a copy of the report, despite formal applications submitted to state authorities.

    “KGL Technology Limited, which is directly the main subject of the review and renegotiation of its contracts with the National Lottery Authority, does NOT even have a copy of the Interministerial Committee Report,” Dr. Opoku stated. “This implies that KGL is doing financial renegotiations with government without a copy of and access to the Interministerial Committee Report on the NLA-KGL deal.”

     

    He emphasized that ongoing discussions between the state and KGL are governed directly by directives issued by the Executive.

    “The ongoing financial renegotiations between government and KGL are strictly guided by the letter issued by the Office of the President dated 7th April 2026 under the signature of the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama (PhD),” Dr. Opoku explained. “So, if KGL… has NO copy of the Interministerial Committee Report, why must Fourth Estate, which was not copied and also NOT even a party to the review and renegotiations of the NLA-KGL deal, be given a copy simply because of the RTI Act?”

     

    Citing specific provisions of Act 989, Dr. Opoku outlined why the document remains legally protected from public disclosure, pointing to Sections 5, 6, 10, 11, and 13, which safeguard presidential advice, cabinet deliberations, trade secrets, and state negotiation strategies.

    “NOT all information can be given or accessed under the Right to Information Act, 2019,” Dr. Opoku asserted. “Under Section 10, information is exempt where it contains trade secrets, financial or technical information, or procedures and instructions relating to negotiations being carried on by or on behalf of the State, the disclosure of which could affect the integrity or stability of the financial system or cause disruption of business.”

    Dr. Opoku further rejected arguments invoking the public interest override under Section 17 of the Act, stating that the underlying contracts have already been confirmed as legal by state authorities.

    “The contracts have been accepted by government as legal per the official letter issued by the Office of the President,” he noted. “They do NOT pose an imminent and serious threat to public safety, health, or morals, nor do they involve a miscarriage of justice or an abuse of authority.”

     

    Calling for a deeper understanding of information access laws among media practitioners, Dr. Opoku urged journalists to thoroughly examine statutory limitation clauses before pursuing RTI requests for active state negotiations.

    “Journalists should understand that before you write an application to access information under Section 18, make sure that you are clearly well educated to the fullest understanding and appreciation of Sections 5 to 17 of the same RTI Act,” Dr. Opoku concluded.

     

     

  • Presidential Committee’s findings contradict Fourth Estate claims on NLA-KGL deal – former NLA Official

    Presidential Committee’s findings contradict Fourth Estate claims on NLA-KGL deal – former NLA Official

    By News Desk

    A fierce war of words has erupted following a public statement issued by the former Head of Public Relations at the National Lottery Authority, Dr. Razak Kojo Opoku, who has vehemently accused investigative media outlet The Fourth Estate of peddling “barefaced lies” and “misleading the public” regarding the ongoing review of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and KGL Group partnership agreement.

    The prominent political and social commentator argues that, recent claims by the media house suggesting that a government-instituted committee’s findings validate their previous reportage are entirely false, malicious, and a calculated attempt to twist facts.

     

    The Core of the Dispute

    The controversy stems from a series of publications by The Fourth Estate which heavily criticized the NLA-KGL deal, labeling it “terrible” and aggressively demanding its immediate termination.

    In a sharp rebuttal, Dr. Opoku pointed out that in the interest of transparency, the President of the Republic ordered a committee to investigate the matter. However, the committee’s final directive fundamentally contradicted the media house’s agenda. Rather than canceling the contract, the committee recommended a stay of execution and a structured renegotiation of the financial terms to maximize benefits for the state.

    “The Fourth Estate, right from the beginning, had been calling for the abrogation of the NLA-KGL deal,” Dr. Opoku stated. “However, this description has never been backed with any reasonable conclusion or substantial evidence by the Fourth Estate or its surrogates.”

     

    “Why the Backtracking?”

    Dr. Opoku questioned why The Fourth Estate is now allegedly attempting to align its previous narrative with the committee’s actual findings, calling out the media organization for what he described as a lack of professional integrity.

    “The Fourth Estate maliciously and mischievously labelled the KGL-NLA deal as terrible and called for the abrogation of the deal. It never called for renegotiation,” Dr. Opoku argued. “Why the backtracking? Why not be truthful? We expected that, if not for cheap sentimentalism and parochialism, the Fourth Estate would have rendered an unqualified apology to KGL.”

     

    He further noted that the media house’s lack of relevance to the actual governance process is evident in their exclusion from the official proceedings.

    “Again, if the Fourth Estate were that consequential, it would have been considered as part of the ongoing renegotiation. No one at the Fourth Estate or among its surrogates can pressure the Committee, which has the mandate, to rush and interfere with its professional work,” he added.

     

    Renegotiations Strictly Commercial, Not for Social Media

    The statement emphasized that all parties involved in the NLA-KGL agreement are actively engaged in a lawful, structured process aimed at securing Ghana’s economic interests. Dr. Opoku warned that state-level commercial agreements cannot be influenced by media campaigns or public sensationalism.

     

    “Renegotiations are NOT done on social media or at the headquarters of the Fourth Estate,” Dr. Opoku maintained. “This is an important national exercise, devoid of sensationalism, propaganda, and the twisting of narratives. All parties sincerely appreciate the urgency of this important renegotiation, but this is strictly a legal and commercial agreement that must adhere to the legal rights of each party.”

     

    Defense of Indigenous Businesses

    Concluding his remarks, Dr. Opoku defended the track record of KGL Group, a major corporate entity and a prominent headline sponsor of Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars. He criticized The Fourth Estate and its parent organization, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), accusing them of routinely trying to dismantle local corporate successes.

    “KGL is fully committed to the Republic and will never waste its time on those who seek to undermine and destroy indigenous businesses, as is the habit of the Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa,” Dr. Opoku concluded.

     

    At the time of going to press, the leadership of The Fourth Estate had not yet issued a formal response to Dr. Opoku’s blistering critique.