Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, yesterday led management of her outfit to pay a courtesy call on former President John Agyekum Kufuor at his residence in commemoration of his 84th birthday.
The CEO said they visited the former President to thank him for establishing MASLOC.
According to her, although all expectations of the institution had not been fully achieved, it was getting better.
She said after touring the institution’s offices in all 16 regions of the country, the reforms implemented were helping to sustain MASLOC as a viable business.
She outlined plans towards soliciting grants to augment Government of Ghana (GoG) funding and the engagement of independent debt collection specialists to safeguard the institution’s revolving fund.
MASLOC was recently named the sustainable Project Financing Brand of the Year at this year’s Ghana Credit Excellence Awards.
Former President Kufuor appreciated the CEO and deputy chief of staff for their visit and the decision to recognise him on his birthday as part of MASLOC’s 16th anniversary celebration.
He mentioned that the true motivation for the formation of MASLOC was for social intervention purposes and not political gains, as many people assumed. He credited the institution’s concept and success to the late Mrs. Gladys Asmah, a Ghanaian politician, businesswoman, and former Minister for Women’s Affairs, under his government.
He stated that he was sure of the idea’s effectiveness since he witnessed Madam Asmah’s implementation of such programmes in her distribution of micro-loans to market women to help them build their small enterprises during his campaign in the year 2000.
He advised the CEO to be committed to the real motives behind its creation and continue to uphold its core values, indicating that the creation of MASLOC was to be a government tool to serve every citizen of Ghana regardless of their party affiliations and support.
He said a deviation from that would be a betrayal of the vision and value system for which the institution was formed.
Regarding MASLOC’s loan beneficiaries, he added that the institution should continue to take steps such as proper feasibility studies and other training support schemes to assist the beneficiaries in maximising the proceeds of their businesses and enhancing their ability to repay these loans on time so that others in the queue can benefit as well.
Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah presented a citation on behalf of the institution in recognition of the former President’s contribution as a transformational leader and for his human-centered governance.