The Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRSMEDA) has raised an alarm over false claims surrounding the Owan Enoh MSMEs Support Fund. The agency disclosed that reports have emerged of individuals being asked to pay money in order to apply for or benefit from the grant.
In a statement, CRSMEDA clarified that such demands are fraudulent and not linked to the agency. “We want to make it unequivocally clear that this agency does not, and will not, request any form of payment from its beneficiaries for any of its programs,” the agency said.
The agency further stressed that this applies to all its programmes, including the successful Retiree Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI), the Bank of Industry nano grants, and the ongoing CRSG/SMEDAN-Sterling Bank loan verification exercise.
CRSMEDA strongly condemned the fraudulent activities, describing them as criminal acts designed to exploit unsuspecting citizens. The agency urged members of the public to stay alert and avoid falling victim, while calling on people to report anyone involved in such scams to the appropriate authorities immediately.