What is supposed to be a church gathering on a typical Sunday morning has become a drama scene at the Zoe Outreach Embassy at Obgojo as irate members whose monies have been ‘locked up’ demand for their monies from the Head Pastor of the church; Kelvin Kwesi Kobiri.
The aggrieved persons mostly men – some of them members of the Outreach - say they were convinced by the founder and leader of the East Legon-based church to invest hundreds of cedis with EL Real Estates and Tikowre Capital.
They said all attempts since last year to withdraw their dividends, principal from the two entities allegedly owned by Kelvin Kwesi Kobiri have proven futile.
After first attempts by these customers to get the attention of the pastor and retrieve their monies last week Sunday, they thronged the premises of the church today to again relay their grievances.
Holding placards with inscriptions including; ‘Pay us Kelvin’, ‘Criminal’, ‘Duab) benya Kelvin’, they chanted and rained curses on the man of God, demanding for their monies.
Unlike the previous Sunday though, security was very tight this time with military presence. Members were scrutinized before they were allowed into the premises; protestors were therefore outside the gate of the premises. Weighing the situation and the insistence of the irate members, church authorities had to call for reinforcement from the police service.
According to the police, the protests were not warranted because official permission wasn’t sought through writing from the police. They have therefore been asked to convey their concerns through the appropriate means to allow for proper procedures.
Background
Some members of the Zoe Outreach Embassy church and other customers have since last week been protesting and demanding for proceeds from their investments with EL Real Estates andTikowre Capital reportedly owned by Head Pastor of the church; Kelvin Kwesi Kobiri.
They say all attempts to withdraw their dividends, principal from the two entities allegedly owned since last year have proven futile. Recent attempts to reach the man of God also through phone calls they maintain have also failed.
The disgruntled customers who said they invested because of the trust they had for the man of God say he betrayed their trust.
They added that even when other Microfinance institutions were going through crises, Pastor Kelvin Kobiri, owner of the companies and head pastor of Zoe Outreach Ministries was able to honour his companies’ financial obligations to them by paying¢90,000 of the invested capital,¢150,000.
They, therefore, had no reason to doubt the pastor when he promised to pay them the rest later. That, however, failed.
During church service at the Zoe Outreached Embassy on Sunday, June 16, some customers butted into the tongues-speaking congregation and startled solemn worshippers with their shouts, insults, and threats.
The chaos took several minutes to quell. The disappointed customers have promised to use every legal means to redeem their investments.
