Some aggrieved market women of about hundred and thirty in numbers (130) in Akyem Oda in the Birim Central Municipality of Eastern region who were victims of the September 13th, 2021 Akyem Oda central market fire disaster are alleging that the funds released by the government to support them are being diverted and disbursed to persons who are not victims.
At a press conference held in Akyem Oda, the convener of the group Madam Linda Asamoah said, disbursement has been done twice, but the majority of the victims have not received a penny rather, persons who were not victims have received the disbursement.
She said the situation has created anger among the victims given that the real victims are jobless now but are not receiving their share of the relief funds.
The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) presented a dummy cheque of Ghc3,161,500 to be disbursed to about 600 victims of the Akyem Oda Market fire.
The amount came a month after Microfinance and Small Loan Center (MASLOC) disbursed about one million cedis to the victims.
The disbursement of a total of Ghc4.2 million cedis to the victims of the September 13, 2021 fire disaster at the market by the two Institutions is in fulfillment of a promise made by President Akufo Addo when he visited the scene in October to commiserate with the affected traders.
The President said he had instructed Ghana Enterprises Agency and MASLOC to provide financial assistance to the affected traders to resiliently bounce back to business
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) Mrs. Kosi Yankey Ayeh urged the 559 beneficiaries to judiciously ambushed the financial support received to revive their businesses and take advantage of the high demands for goods during the yuletide to make great sales.
“Through the direction of the President and the Community we were called to provide support to the enterprises that have been impacted. The Ghana Enterprises Agency’s job is to provide support to micro small and media enterprises some of whom are traders, retailers, manufacturers, and agribusiness and so we are here to provide them the needed support at a time such as this. My advice really to the beneficiaries is that they should utilize the funds for what is meant to b which is to imbursed in their businesses and use that to grow and build their businesses” she said.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
