By Prince Ahenkorah
The Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) is reeling from explosive revelations by its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Abigail Akwambea Elorm Mensah, who has exposed what she calls “deep-seated rot” within the institution ranging from fake staff credentials to politically motivated loan defaults.
In a hard-hitting interview on Radio Gold, Madam Elorm Mensah named Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, as one of several high-profile individuals allegedly owing MASLOC substantial sums. According to her, the MP has failed to repay a ₵500,000 loan acquired under the guise of supporting his constituency.
“The records are there,” she said. “He took the money in the name of his district, and up till now, he has not made any payments.”
Beyond the unpaid loans, the CEO revealed that MASLOC is grappling with a disturbing wave of fraudulent staff qualifications. Investigations have uncovered employees who submitted fake university certificates some never attended the institutions they claimed.
“You go to the universities to confirm their certificates and they didn’t even attend those universities,” she lamented. “Such things must be dealt with through the proper processes.”
MASLOC currently employs over 600 staff nationwide, but the CEO expressed concern about the integrity of its recruitment system. She confirmed that 130 new staff have recently been hired, but warned that the Centre’s credibility is at risk if qualifications continue to be falsified.
Operational efficiency is also under threat due to uneven staff distribution. While offices in Accra and the Northern Region are overstaffed, others including the Western North Region have no active personnel, as many employees refuse postings to rural areas.
Madam Elorm Mensah further alleged that some Members of Parliament have been abusing MASLOC’s mandate by submitting lists of political loyalists to benefit from loans and services meant for vulnerable groups and small-scale entrepreneurs.
MASLOC must return to its core mission,” she declared. “It cannot continue as a political cash cow.”
The Acting CEO’s revelations have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for a full-scale audit of MASLOC’s operations. As the institution faces mounting pressure to clean house, all eyes are now on whether these bold claims will lead to real reform or fade into the familiar silence that has followed similar exposés in the past.