Some aggrieved customers of the Gold Coast Fund Management in the Kassena Nankana Municipality and Kassena Nankana West District numbering over 800,000 are appealing to government to pay them their locked-up investments.
According to their Spokesperson, John Brown Chiravira, government revoked the license of Gold Coast Fund Management in October 2018 with the view to reform the financial sector. He said depositors were assured of the safety of their monies and that the purpose of the financial sector reform was to clean up the system.
Many customers who invested their lifetime savings in Gold Coast Fund Management, he added, trusted government would keep to its word by refunding their monies promptly but till date this has not been done.
Mr Chiravira said government made the Security and Exchange Commission to collect data through the Consolidated Bank towards paying their locked up funds but that is yet to materialise.
“They acknowledged receipt of claims and gave a contact number (0302963188). During the State of the Nation Address this year, the President emphatically stated that payments would be done soon but to our surprise, government has failed to redeem that assurance after almost two years .
Mr. Chravira said the failure of government to pay back the locked up funds is having a very serious negative effect on them especially the aged who invested their lump sum SSNIT payment in to the financial institution
“Depositors who are mostly pensioners, business men and women are now financially distressed. Many pensioners have lost their lives because they cannot meet the cost of medication and shelter. Many businesses have collapsed,”
The disappointed customers in a statement read by Mr Chiravira at a press conference held in Navrongo, called on the President to uphold his oath to do good to all manner of persons and warned that their thumbs will make a decision when it matters
“Five percent of eight hundred thousand (800,000) is forty thousand (40,000). This represents the cream of society whose voices can be heard and need to be silenced for now. This is discriminatory. Remember, Mr President, you are under oath to do good to all manner of persons. The voiceless majority of seven hundred and sixty thousand (760,000) who do not matter today would matter tomorrow since they have thumbs.
“Most of those who have exited this world untimely for want of money to treat themselves will be witnesses in heaven and those gnashing their teeth now for collapse of their businesses are silently appealing to the good Lord for revenge. The good book says vengeance is the Lord’s and so be it,” the statement added.
Akosua Awedama, a widow with five children, who says she has invested Gh¢2,000, could not control her tears because she keeps struggling day in day out to feed her children. The widow appealed to the government to pay their locked-up investments as the hardships facing their families had become unbearable.
Gaspard Ayuureneeya.