Popular Ghanaian comedian and actor Richard Kweku Asante (Kalybos) has revealed that he landed a job offer as a presenter at the National Lottery Authority (NLA) directly from its then Director-General, Sammy Awuku, now the Member of Parliament for Akuapem North.
Kalybos clarified that this opportunity was a direct result of his visible support for the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, emphasising that it was a legitimate job offer, not a handout or an act of cronyism.
Speaking on JoyFM’s #ShowbizAtoZ, Kalybos addressed the intersection of his political involvement and career opportunities.
[embedded content]“And you know it’s a political party, whatever it is, we’re in a democratic country. So it’s always been on that platform and through that, with my affiliation on how I helped, you know, I got to get a work offer from, you know, Sammy Awuku,” he explained.
Kalybos detailed how the offer came about, stressing that he had no prior personal relationship with Mr. Awuku.
“With him, I didn’t even know him from nowhere, but then he saw what I did to push, you know, with the Free SHS and all that, and he was appointed as the Director General of, you know, NLA. I was like, ‘Okay, this is a guy who helped us; let me also find him a job where he can make money.’ So, yeah.”
[embedded content]He was keen to dispel any notions that his employment was based on undue influence or a mere reward for political campaigning.
“And this job wasn’t because I was being pushed or paid this amount. I was working as a normal worker there. Okay. You understand?” he asserted.
When probed about his salary, Kalybos acknowledged it was “good”, but reiterated that it was structured like any other regular employee’s.
“It’s a TV, you know. There wasn’t any clothes allowance. There wasn’t any food allowance for me. So, where would they come from? And I can’t wear particular clothes, you know. So all of these were something to subsidise all these bits. So to me, it was a work thing.”
Kalybos expressed profound respect for Sammy Awuku, commending his leadership at the NLA.
Mr Awuku was appointed Director-General of the NLA in August 2021 and served until his resignation in January 2025, following his election as the MP for Akuapem North.
“He is a good man. I mean, I’ll always give him his flowers. Good. Put politics aside, you understand? ‘Because if you can do your case study and get to know the changes he brought to NLA, you’ll be shocked,” Kalybos stated.
He highlighted Mr Awuku’s transformative impact on the institution, citing the modernisation of its operations.
“All machines that were being used for the lottery, 1957. When you know Brennan, the man who brought the lottery to the world – actually, he set up the national lottery. They [machines] were old. Other countries have evolved and brought in different things. He [Sammy Awuku] changed the face of lottery, and everything was just beautiful and wow, sorry what he’s done for NLA, he deserves his…”
Kalybos’s account provides a window into the dynamics between political support and opportunities within state institutions in Ghana.
His narrative suggests that while his political affiliation opened a door, the subsequent employment was framed as a legitimate work opportunity, where he performed duties as a regular employee, contributing to the NLA’s operations.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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