In 2009, Francis Agbavitor, a well-known carpenter from Kyebi in Ghana’s Eastern Region, experienced what many would call a life-changing miracle.
He was named a winner in Vodafone’s customer rewards programme, receiving a luxurious house at Trassaco, one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Accra, along with a brand-new SUV prize.
But what should have been a dream come true quickly turned into a nightmare.
Agbavitor recalled the moment he got the call from a Vodafone official informing him about his win in the customer rewards programme, and how he was so overwhelmed and felt haunted, leaving shivers down his spine.
Narrating his story in an interview with SVTV, he said for the fear of his safety and being unsure how to process the news, he walked all the way from Kyebi to Koforidua, hoping to escape the attention.
But he said Vodafone officials eventually found him near their office and approached him.
This, he said, caught the attention of passersby, which led to a public stir.
Narrating the incident, he said people kept pointing and whispering, “It’s him, he’s the one.”
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Agbavitor was escorted to Accra, where the house was officially handed over to him.
However, maintaining a property in Trassaco proved financially overwhelming for him.
Agbavitor then decided to rent the mansion to a Nigerian tenant for $1,500 a month.
Unfortunately, he said the tenant mismanaged the property, prompting Agbavitor to seek help from a close friend to resolve the situation.
His friend offered to pay off the tenant and help reclaim the house.
“He assessed the situation and said I couldn’t afford the interest, so he’d handle it and we’d later discuss payment terms,” Agbavitor explained.
True to his word, the friend raised the money within nine months and paid off the tenant.
Afterward, they agreed on a sale price of $500,000 for the house.
Out of trust, Agbavitor handed over the property documents without making copies. That decision, he said, marked the beginning of his troubles.
“He deposited $100,000 into my account and later gave me about GH¢200,000. He promised to support me with upkeep money, which he did. But I never received the full amount for the house,” the carpenter said.
When Agbavitor asked if his friend had finished recouping the money he spent on the tenant, the answer was no.
To date, the house remains in his friend’s possession. He said he later discovered the property had been sold to footballer Emmanuel Adebayor, yet he hasn’t heard from his friend since.
Despite the setback, Agbavitor used part of the money he collected from his friend earlier to buy a modest home at Kyebi, where he now lives with his wife and children.
Still financially-challenged, he called on Ghanaians to come to his aid as business is not as brisk any longer for him.
SA/AE
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