General News of Saturday, 3 November 2018

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Prepare to shoot & kill us; we're coming for our money - First Allied customers to BoG

Bank of Ghana Bank of Ghana

Some aggrieved customers of First Allied Savings and Loans in Kumasi, have threatened the Adum Branch to demand for their locked up cash.

The customers being led by one Mr Stephen said, nobody would stop them from staging the protest. We will not be scared and it will take gunshots to stop us from staging the protest on Monday.

He told Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM that, the Central Bank authorized the activities of the Savings and Loans Company hence their resolve to stage the demonstration.

"The media will hear from us from Monday. We will storm the Bank of Ghana and prevent them from working. Unless they shoot and kill us, we will not allow them to work.’’ Mr Stephen said, his locked up cash is more 20 billion old cedis and because the money is locked, he is unable to import and do business.

He recounted how a female customer of the company died after staying at the Roman Ridge branch of First Allied for four days in demand for her money. He also expressed disappointment in President Akufo-Addo for failing to deal with the financial crisis in the country.

"We will punish him in 2020 for making us feel disappointed in voting for him and his party,’’ he added.

The Ashanti regional minister, Simon Osei Mensah has said the petition he received from some aggrieved customers would be sent to the economic management team for redress.

He made the comments after some customers petitioned him over their inability to withdraw their deposits last month. First Allied has also stated they have not deliberately kept customers’ cash and refused to pay.

According to the company’s Public Relations Officer, Jones Owusu, the panic withdrawals following the consolidation of some five backs affected them.