Deltan participants in the controversial Ponzi scheme Mavrodi Mondial Movement (MMM) have protested their unpaid financial investments few weeks after the scheme resurfaced to abreast its overwhelming customers its readiness to pay those who invested their money, Leadership reports.
The protesters, many of whom market women and local traders
including some youths in Asaba, its environs, yesterday around
Abraka-Asaba area where they were seen holding meeting on way forward to
recover their money, told a reporter they were loosing patience on the
MMM promises that were never fulfilled almost a month it claimed to have
resumed in full swing.
Leader of the group, Felix Okafor explained that their patience
snapped a week after resumption of service and promise to begin payment
by MMM, adding that although, there was evidence that a few low-term
investors had been paid, but thousands of others across the country,
including those whose applications were yet to be attended to, have been
running out of patience.
According to Mr. Okafor, “We are running out of patience and our anger is on those brains behind the scheme for the frustration in accessing our funds,”
alleging that there may be no hope on sight soon for their payments
following the alleged fresh challenges the scheme claimed to have been
faced with recently.
The protesters who rained curses on the MMM founder, broke into
tears as they wept profusely that their money may be trapped adding “we may be finished, we are yet to get our money paid, MMM had swindled us. It will not be well with the MMM Founder”. Unless it makes refund as soon as possible, while others who claimed to be traders, said they invested their business money.
One of them, Kate Okafor, said: “I really need help. I provided
help of N50,000, now I made a request to get help. The request was
processed, but I have not being matched with another participant who
will pay me. They won’t even pick my calls. So my money is lost, isn’t
it?”
Another, Harrison Ita Etim, posted: “I am still in the same poo, too, till today!” On her part, Owhotemu Maryjane said: “What
is really going on with MMM? If it’s gone, you should let us the
participants know. And why is that when someone wants to GH (get help),
it will show or create error? You guys had a month to sort this out
during the so-called break! So, what, then, is this so-called withdrawal
limit that you are now talking about?”
From Santos Maemi came this: “To all Nigerians, please wake up. This is totally a scam. Don’t be blind”.
Yet another participant, Christopher Chinedu, said: “If I know
that this would happen, I shouldn’t have become a participant . Let’s
admit we have lost our money. That is business, I guess close or gain.
Somebody has been matched with different people, four, to be
precise and they have not paid him now, many days and months after.
Hmmm! So, who is going to pay who? I think I have cried enough; it’s
time for me to clean my eyes now and forget my N700,000.
Sola Abiadakun, another participant, who provided help in November
and asked for help on January 13, said he was matched with four persons
but only two paid. “I was only paid N4000 and N10,000, leaving two failed transactions waiting to be rematches,” he said.
However, top guider of the scheme, Bode Wilson, while explaining
the reason for delayed payment, said that the number of people
requesting for payment was higher than the number providing help. “They have started matching people, but there will be delay in payment, especially for those that pledged huge amounts of money”, Wilson said.
A lawyer, Lawrence Egodike, warned that participants in the scheme
may not be able to recover any money lost in the scheme because of the
anonymity the business is shrouded with.
Egodike said: “who do you sue? You don’t see the person you are
going business with; you can only sue the person you see and it is only
the person you see physically that you can do business with.”
A broadcaster, Carol Oladeinde, said: “I have a relation who
did the MMM thing and was benefitting from it before they went off. I do
not think that we should condemn the financial scheme (MMM) because a
lot of people have benefited from it. I am into another networking
stuff. I am a member of another one and it is working. Martins Okafor, a
participant investor in Asaba said he still believes in the scheme. He
said that those who have not received any payment were those who have
not been matched for payments, especially those invested shortly before
the break.
Another investor, Miss Blessing Nwankwo, was also optimistic that
her investment would not be lost. She said she was willing to forfeit
N10,000 of the N20,000 she invested, adding that she had no regrets
whatsoever.
Investigation revealed that over 121 civil servants in Asaba and
its environs invested in the scheme including a Director in one of the
Ministries with alleged whopping sum of N6.6million.
Sources close to the Civil Servants hinted that many of them have
allegedly fled their homes for fear of the unknown after they converted
their rents money into the investment.
As for the Director who did not want his name in the print, said: “I’m
not sure I will survive because I took junior staff money to invest in
MMM and we are not sure of payments, I just pray MMM will pay us”.
While the fear of unknown thickens, various participants in Asaba and its environs, have resorted to prayers and curses.
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