-Dodging GHC280K- Loan Repayment
A simmering financial controversy has ensnared former Second Lady Samiratu Bawumia, with the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) demanding repayment of a Ghc280,000 loan tranche allegedly secured through her vice-presidential clout a revelation that’s peeling back layers of the Akufo-Addo era’s alleged cronyism, even as her camp insists the debt is settled.
In a pointed November 11, 2025 letter from MASLOC CEO Abigail Elorm Mensah, Bawumia is urged to square an outstanding balance tied to a facility purportedly directed for Fulbe community training in yoghurt processing.
The missive highlights discrepancies: While her office claims full reimbursement, MASLOC’s books show Ghc280,000 lingering in delinquency. Intermediaries – NPP Savannah coordinator Hudu Fulani, trainer Alhaji Hakim, and cheque handler Ali Aminu Gariba have washed their hands of it, redirecting queries straight to her door.
“Discussions with Mr. Hudu Fulani indicate the loan was processed on the Second Lady’s directive,” the letter notes, underscoring how Gariba acted under her reported instructions.
MASLOC’s deputy CEO engaged Hakim for resolution talks, only for him to demur, advising direct contact with Bawumia. The episode raises red flags on guarantors for such a hefty sum far exceeding MASLOC’s typical Ghc100-5,000 business loans and how a spousal influence allegedly bypassed standard vetting for a “training” initiative.
This isn’t isolated; it feeds into a narrative of systemic graft during the NPP’s tenure, where state microfinance tools were allegedly weaponized for political patronage. Bawumia’s team, silent so far, faces mounting pressure to clarify, especially as opposition voices amplify calls for probes into MASLOC’s past disbursements.
With the NDC in power scrutinizing predecessor scandals, this could snowball, tainting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2028 ambitions and exposing fault lines in the Elephant’s financial underbelly. Will she repay, or will audits unearth more?