Disgruntled customers of the Power Grounds Micro Finance in Navrongo in the Upper East Region, have petitioned the outgoing Interior Minister and MP for the Navrongo Central Constituency, Mark Woyongo, to intervene in helping customers retrieve their principal investments locked up in the company since 2014.
The customers, numbering over 100, flooded the principal streets of Navrongo appealing for government’s intervention in the retrieval of their locked investments and called for the prosecution of the CEO of Power Grounds Micro Finance, Robert Atiah.
Spokesperson for the disgruntled customers, Ayidah Justice, said customers do not understand why a ban that was placed on Power Grounds Micro Finance in 2014 was lifted later when customers had still not received their investments.
He said the devastating effects of the ‘scam’ has caused broken marriages, collapsed businesses and truncated others educational dreams while others have taken to alcoholism due to the frustration.
“We demand Mark Woyongo to authorize the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to provide reasons for freezing the accounts of the micro finance and clarify reasons why the BoG lifted the ban placed on the entity yet customers have not receive their investments since 2014”.
“We also demand that you (Woyongo) direct the security agencies to arrest the CEO of Power Grounds Microfinance Mr. Robert Atiah and his managers with immediate effect to refund the monies of the affected customers and let them face prosecution for fraud… We give Mark Woyongo an ultimatum of one week to call for the interdiction of the CEO of Power Grounds Micro Finance to refund our monies to save lives and the suffering masses of investors and their families or we will not vote in the upcoming general election come November 7,” Ayidah stated.
A customer who invested GH12,000.00 with the company told Citi Business,the crisis in Navrongo is a matter of ;ofe and death and that people could die if government fails to intervene.
Another victim who invested GHC65,000.00 hoping to use the proceeds to support the education of his son studying medicine in China said he needs $5000 to buy text books but at the moment cannot afford.
“From here, I am coming to ADB to see how I can seek assistance for a loan to cater for my son because I can’t leave him outside the country to continue suffering,” he said.
A widow and mother of one, who also invested GHC10,000.00 to take care of her daughter is currently jobless and needs government intervention for the retrieval of her deposits for survival.
These concerns come at a time when residents of Brong Ahafo Region whose funds have been locked up with DKM Micro Finance and others, have stepped up pressure on government to help them retrieve their monies.
The regular of the financial sector, the Bank of Ghana, has largely being blamed for shirking its responsibilities thereby allowing such micro finance firms to dupe unsuspecting customers.
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By Fred Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana