Nearly two years after the Supreme Court nullified the National Lottery Act, about 1,500 National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) workers have remained in limbo, seeking urgent redeployment.

Newmen’s investigation revealed that the  commission has remained largely inactive, with management and staffers no longer reporting for duty.

During a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, a news correspondent found the premises deserted, with no visible official activities or significant presence of workers.

The development highlights the prolonged uncertainty following the Supreme Court judgment, which appears to have brought the commission’s operations to a standstill.

A staff member of the commission  who spoke anonymously on behalf of the affected workers, told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that the employees had remained largely inactive since the judgment.

The worker said a verification exercise was conducted in June, raising hopes that government would commence redeployment, but no concrete information had followed.

“Since the judgment, the staff have essentially been in limbo.

“At some point, the authorities conducted a verification exercise, and we were hoping that would lead to redeployment.

“Since then, nothing has happened. Some colleagues have gone to make enquiries, but they are repeatedly told, ‘Next month, next month.’ We are now in October,” the worker said.

The staff member said workers were still receiving salaries but had not been informed where they would be redeployed.

“We need to know our fate and where we are going. People want to work. They want to contribute and feel useful,” the worker said.

The worker said the situation had created uncertainty among staffers across the headquarters in Abuja and about 15 zonal offices nationwide.

According to the staff member, about 1500 employees are affected, with workers in the zonal offices also being federal employees awaiting government’s decision.

The worker described the experience of remaining at home as emotionally difficult, despite continuing to receive salaries.

“It has not been easy. For someone who is used to being busy and going to work every day, suddenly having nothing to do is very difficult.

“There is a feeling of hopelessness and uncertainty. You feel almost worthless because there is nothing meaningful to do,” the staff member said.

The Supreme Court, in its Nov. 22, 2024 judgment in Suit No. SC/1/2008, declared the National Lottery Act 2005 unconstitutional and nullified the law establishing the NLRC.

The seven-member panel held that lottery and games of chance were not within the National Assembly’s legislative competence, leaving regulation principally to state Houses of Assembly, except in the FCT.

The judgment followed a suit instituted by Lagos State and other states challenging the Federal Government’s authority to regulate lottery nationwide.

The worker said the judgment had implications beyond the commission, including the National Lottery Trust Fund, which channels lottery proceeds towards public projects and other good causes.

“The effect goes beyond the Commission’s staffers.

“It affects the regulatory structure and has implications for the Trust Fund as well,” the worker said.

The worker also urged the FCT authorities to pursue legislation establishing its own lottery regulatory framework, saying some affected federal workers could potentially find opportunities there.

“Our appeal is very simple: redeploy us and let us know our fate.

“The redeployment process has taken far too long,” the worker said.

Reacting, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr Onwusoro Maduka, told newsmen in Abuja that a committee had been constituted by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to address the matter.

Maduka, who is co-chairman of the committee, said the affected workers had been verified and cleared, assuring them that redeployment would follow after the committee concluded its assignment.

“They are still receiving salary because they are still staff of the Federal Government and they equally have bills to pay.

“The good thing is that they have been verified and the committee is working on the issue. They should be patient; as soon as the committee is through, they will be redeployed,” Maduka said.

Newsmen report that the empty and deserted commission’s headquarters underscored the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the affected workers and the institution.

With workers still receiving salaries without work, authorities need to act swiftly on redeployment, ending the prolonged uncertainty and ensuring public funds support productive employment.