DKM victims: We don’t take Ofori-Atta seriously

Victims of the DKM Microfinance fiasco say they do not take seriously Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori-Atta’s comment that he was “…not sure the NPP has in its manifesto” any plans to “settle all DKM customers”.

Mr Ofori-Atta made the comment when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of parliament to be vetted.

Reacting to Mr Ofori-Atta’s comment on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Friday, 27 January, the spokesperson for the victims, Mr Alex Obeng, told host Moro Awudu: “I personally don’t have any problem with his statement about the DKM issue not being in their manifesto. I don’t really know much about the manifesto but we heard from the president [then flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo] when he came to Brong Ahafo to campaign. He said for the DKM, he is going to investigate it and find out where our monies are and then pay us – that is the point.

“Now the president has not yet spoken that he never said that, so, we are waiting for the president to establish a committee to investigate what really happened in Brong Ahafo, so that we can get our money.

“We are strongly expecting the president to investigate the issue and find out where our money is.”

According to him, they would only take Mr Ofori-Atta’s comment seriously if the president had ordered him to say so. “We don’t know whether Nana had a conversation with him [Mr Ofori-Atta] or they discussed because he never said Nana said it is not in our manifesto, he was talking by himself, we are waiting till Nana speaks,” he added.

Over 70,000 customers had their investments, which ran into several millions of cedis, locked up with DKM and other fan clubs after the Bank of Ghana’s move in 2015, to stop them from operating over concerns that they were violating microfinance regulations.

The balance sheet of DKM as of May 11, 2015 showed its net liability stood at negative GHS21million.

Some victims allegedly committed suicide while others died as a result of the loss of their investment. The immediate past government started processes to reimburse the victims in phases. Two payments have been made so far. DKM was incorporated on 3 April 2013 and was licensed by the Bank of Ghana as a tier two microfinance company on 25 October 2013.

credit:classfmonline