Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has hit back at Gabby Asare Otchere Darko for attacking her for participating in a picketing exercise by pensioners.
Madam Akuffo is back at the premises of the Ministry after triggering an uproar when she showed up to join others last Friday, February 10, 2023, to demand a total exclusion from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
The stateswoman has already described as wicked and insensitive the decision by the Finance Ministry to include bonds of pensioners in the programme.
Leading member of the NPP Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko in a tweet stated that he does not get the “fuss” the former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo made over the inclusion of pensioners in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
“Why picket over an offer that you have the liberty not to accept?” he quizzed.
However, the former Chief Justice said Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, can call her paranoid regarding the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) but she cares less.
“He doesn’t decide for me what I need to do and what I do not need to do. It’s as simple as that. I don’t have time for things like that, people like that are not important to me or to my life. He’s a disturbance.”
She added; “Gabby Otchere-Darko can call me paranoid, I don’t care.”
Today, dozens of pensioners have returned with their placards to reiterate their position.
The deadline for the DDEP has elapsed with the Ministry confirming about 80% participation.
But a convenor of the Pension Bondholders Forum, Dr Adu Anane Antwi, says though the Minister has allowed the pensioners a self-exempt option, it is not enough.
He wants the Ministry to come clear on its stance on issuer exemptions.
“We want to be exempted, just as pension funds didn’t want to be part of self-exempt. The medical association didn’t want to be part of self-exempt. They stood their ground and said they exempt us and the government didn’t tell them to opt-out,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Government has assured all individual bondholders who did not participate in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme that their outstanding coupon payments and maturing principals will be paid.
