They give nothing but winning numbers, yet they are not rich. They spend almost all their time reading and checking numbers for their ‘stakers’. But most lotto doctors, as they are called, have nothing to show after many years of loyalty and hardwork for their job.
Sixty-two-year-old lotto doctor Moro Adamu says he has nothing to live on after his 30 years’ experience as a lotto doctor.
It was 7:00am on a Wednesday morning at the Tema Station in Accra.
While some lotto doctors were seriously working out for winning numbers, others were still not awake from their sleep.
Moro Adamu told TV3’s Odilia Agyeman Prempeh that they are sleeping as a result of working overnight for winning numbers.
‘Hand to mouth’
Moro Adamu popularly known as Nima has been working as a forecaster for 37 years now. Although he gives winning numbers to his client, he has no money to bet on.
The sad story is Moro Adamu cannot brag of any achievement from his job as a lotto doctor over the years.
He describes the profession as “hand-to-mouth”. All the money he earns from the job is used to feed his family.
On a good day, Moro Adam says he earns a maximum of GH¢10 and a minimum of GH¢5.
Some days he goes home on empty stomach. The burden of taking care of his five children is now on his wife. He confessed that he does not make enough money to be able to save.
Moro Adamu is not in this situation alone. Some of his colleagues also lamented the lack of government attention towards lotto doctors although they play a key role in the development of the National Lotto Authority (NLA).
According to lotto forecasters, their role helps in the reduction of unemployment in the country, especially as one does not need a certificate to operate.
Emmanuel Nii Adjiri is a lotto writer. He has been in the lottery business since 1974, when he was 18 years old.
But his story is not different from the others: he believes lotto agents are not treated fairly by the government.
Meanwhile, Director General of NLA Kofi Osei Ameyaw says lotto doctors who are not licensed as well as illegal lottery operators will be dealt with if found culpable.
He further explained that the Authority is ready to work hand-in-hand with interested clients who want to sign on with NLA.
The multi-billion questions is, “Will the lotto doctor ever be rich?”
Time will tell.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana