For Immediate Release
RE: WE HAVE BEEN ‘SWINDLED’ BY NEIP- SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS THREATEN SUIT
Once again the attention of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan-NEIP has been drawn to misleading publications by @myghnews and other media houses which have been given prominence on social media.
The publication with the caption “We’ve been swindled by NEIP” is purported to have been commissioned by one Mr. Vizbeth Kofi Azumah who happens to be an applicant of the NEIP Presidential Business Support Programme.
According to the Publication, some beneficiaries from the Volta Region who were selected to receive funding have been refused their portion of the funding after going through all the processes.
We at NEIP want to state emphatically that no beneficiary has been swindled and these claims are false and must be disregarded.
FACTS OF THE MATTER
The fact of the matter is that NEIP engaged the services of private incubation hubs to train and also recommend applicants for funding. In the case of the Volta Region, NEIP engaged two incubation hubs, namely HO NODE and STUDENTS DOT COM. These hubs were required to select 10 beneficiaries each for funding.
Unfortunately, the hubs selected 40 instead of 20, exceeding the budgeted number of applicants for funding. NEIP had no option but to select 30 out of the 40 the two hubs presented. Management is currently reviewing the petition submitted by individuals who could not make to the final selection even though they have gone through all the processes for funding after engaging them to explain the circumstances that created the unfortunate situation.
Mr. Azumah who is behind the media publications, was in our office two days ago with a petition, (A copy of his petition attached) which management are to yet consider his case as to whether to roll him over to the window 2 application or not. The CEO of NEIP, John Kumah took time to explain the reasons behind the unfortunate incident and assured him of a prompt response to the petition.
It is however strange that after a genial engagement with Mr. Azumah, he hurriedly ran to the media to rather concoct and paint a very wrong impression of the situation which is being resolved. NEIP Have encountered similar incidents in some regions of Ghana and has resolved them amicably and the Volta region is not an exception.
We want to state that, a programme with 7000 applicants where 1,350 were selected will not end without encountering these challenges.
It is expected that some people who think they have the best business and were not funded will be aggrieved and will go to the media to express their grievances, but the truth stands that NEIP has maintained a high level of integrity with the selection processes and will continue to engage individuals with concerns for a peaceful resolution at all times. Our doors are open for any suggestion aimed at making the programme better
We welcome all constructive criticism and want to assure the public that NEIP is committed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision of providing an eco-system that encourages entrepreneurship and business development in Ghana for all.
Thank You
Signed
Joseph Osei Oppong-Brenya
Head of ICT/Media Relations, NEIP
O241697703
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