20th August, 2010
President of the Lagos State Pools Agents Association, LASPAA, Major Sammy Ogunyebo (retd) says only Governor Raji Fashola can solve the problems facing the pools business in the state.
In the past few years, pools promoters have bastardized the business with high commission to stakers and illegal changing of odds payment without recourse to the department in charge of pools in the Ministry of Finance, Alausa, Ikeja.
The promoters also illegally operate betting shops and own about 80 per cent of such shops spread across Lagos State to the detriment of pools agents, who ought to own and control betting shops as stipulated in the state’s Edict on Pools.
Sammy told P.M.NEWS that his association believes that Governor Fashola is their last hope to curb the excesses of the promoters, as they have vowed to use their financial power and connection to see that the proposal written by the association to the governor does not see the light of day.
“We are appealing to Governor Fashola to help us out of this situation. We understood that the Office of the Chief of Staff to Fashola has sent our proposal to Mr. Ade Ipaye, the Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation. This is a good step in the right direction, but we want to urge Mr. Ipaye to expedite action on our case so that the Governor will be able to act promptly to sanitise the industry,†he said.
The LASPAA President urged pools promoters to operate according to the law that stipulates full odds payment of 1-14 (40-1) and total eradication of commission to stakers.
“Only two promoters in the whole of Lagos State are operating according to the law, while others are doing what they like. It is a pity that after the death of Chief Ezekiel Badero, things have not been the same,†he said.