The Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Abigail Akwambea Elorm Mensah, has revealed that an internal review has uncovered cases of fake certificates and unqualified staff within the agency, promising a thorough clean-up to restore efficiency and integrity in public service employment.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sena Numbo on Radio Gold’s Gold Morning Conversation, the MASLOC boss disclosed that the institution currently has about 600 staff nationwide but admitted that the system inherited from the previous administration was riddled with irregularities.
“There are people whose qualifications turned out to be fake. We verified their certificates with the universities and found that some never even attended those institutions,” she said.
She explained that leadership is taking a strategic and fair approach to remove those who do not merit their positions while creating space for genuinely qualified Ghanaians to serve.
“We have to go through the process and take out people who don’t deserve where they are, so we can bring on board qualified ones,” she added.
Mrs. Mensah also revealed inequities in regional staffing, noting that while some regions such as the Northern Region and Greater Accra are overcrowded, others like Western North and Volta are severely understaffed.
She attributed part of the problem to politically motivated recruitments made in August 2024, shortly before the change of government, which left MASLOC’s workforce unevenly distributed.
“You realise that most of those recruited were placed in specific regions. Some areas don’t even have staff, but in others, the offices are choked,” she explained.
The CEO emphasised that her administration is focused on restructuring MASLOC’s operations to ensure that all regions receive adequate attention and service delivery, in line with government’s commitment to inclusive economic empowerment.
Addressing concerns about youth unemployment, Mrs. Mensah assured Ghanaians that the government is working to create opportunities for the many young people who supported the NDC during the campaign and continue to hope for jobs.
“Our young people are not asking for handouts; they’re asking for work. We will ensure that they have something meaningful to do,” she said.
She rejected claims by critics that the new administration has mismanaged MASLOC or the economy, insisting that the current government is turning things around.
“It’s not as bad as the NPP is making it look. They know the mess they left behind, but we’ve already moved from a 17 cedis-to-1 -dollar situation to around 10-to-1. That shows progress,” she noted.
Mrs. Mensah added that the centre is committed to maintaining fiscal discipline and ensuring that MASLOC fulfils its mandate of supporting small businesses, traders, and young entrepreneurs across the country.
