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“The statement that came out was not what Menzgold customers were expecting from government. We were expecting a solution in tackling this issue rather than giving advises…we are never happy about the statement brought up by the president. This issue has affected a lot of customers…we’ve recorded so many deaths and others are on their sick beds.”

The above are remarks from some aggrieved customers of defunct gold dealership firm, Menzgold, expressing disappointment in President Akufo-Addo over comments he passed in relation to the company when the latter read his third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in Parliament on Thursday.

It appears the disgruntled customers were looking forward to "a solution in tackling this issue” and not words of counsel.

The President on Thursday called on Ghanaians to pick lessons from the Menzgold saga.

“This is a tragic phenomenon that appears to have occurred in plain sight, and affected a lot of people, in spite of warnings from official institutions,...as the authorities try to unravel the intricacies of what happened, I admonish all Ghanaians to learn the necessary lessons for the future, even as State institutions work to bring a resolution to the matter, and those who are seen to have indulged in criminal activities, are brought to justice,” he said.

But Timothy Binob, Spokesperson for the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers, believes thepresident could have done better.

He said government institutions are to be blamed for their current predicament; hence, the need for government to help them in retrieving their monies.

According to him, “we were expecting President to tell us a specific date we will be collecting our monies because it was through government intervention that has brought, we the customers into this situation. The mess was created by the institution of government which did not do their work well…and that is making customers suffer today”.

“Government has a duty to protect our investment; to make sure that every financial institution is properly licensed before it comes into being. Did Menzgold come from a vacuum? They were licensed and this company was in the system for five years…what were they (authorities) doing when they could have stopped them long time since they had no license to operate. Until we get our monies from government, he (Akufo-Addo) is not receiving any applause from us.”