Apologise To DKM Customers For Not Paying Them - Pius Hadzide To Mahama
A Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide has said former president John Mahama should be thankful to the Akufo-Addo government for taking the pain to reimburse affected customers of DKM Microfinance and other Ponzi schemes that roceked the Brong Ahafo region.
Mr Mahama, during the weekend, called on the government to fulfill its promise to those who lost their money in the DKM scandal.
His comments come after some affected customers of the Ponzi schemes threatened to stage a demonstration in the region against the government after it failed to pay them their monies as promised by the then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.
He said the NPP “falsely claimed” that the troubled DKM microfinance company belonged to him and his wife.
Addressing delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Wamfie in the Dormaa East constituency on Saturday, Mr Mahama said he was therefore surprised that nearly two years after the customers were promised, most of them were yet to get their locked cash.
“When we were in office, the NPP lied that DKM belongs to my wife and I. Today you are in power and you know who DKM belongs to. You promised that you will collect the people’s money for them when you come into power; please collect their DKM money and give it back to them”, Mr Mahama said.
However, the Deputy Communications Minister disagreed with the position of the former president.
He noted the said scam happened under the administration of Mr Mahama and he “could not do anything about it.”
He criticized the former president, saying he should even render apologies to the affected persons of the scam since his government failed to pay the victims their monies while in government.
“The former president should apologise to the chiefs and people of the Brong Ahafo Region for not paying them the locked monies,” he told Mugabe Maase, host ‘Inside Politics’ on Radio XYZ 93.1 on Monday.
Mr Hadzide revealed that when the New Patriotic Party assumed office in 2017, the government made arrangements for the duped customers to get back their monies, after the assets of DKM were liquidated.
He continued: “Government has paid about 90% of the debt. And this is as a result of the hard work of this government. Over 90% of the depositors have received their monies…Mrs Oware is the official Liquidator for DKM, you can get to her and see it for yourself.”
He also admitted that although there is a remaining debt to settle, the government will try to pay them.
When told of an impending agitations from some aggrieved customers, Mr Hadzide explained that government knows there is a debt to settle, the customers should exercise restraint.