Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has replied staunch New Patriotic Party (NPP) member, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, over claims that she does not appreciate the matters arising with regard to the controversial Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
Read full articlecolleague pensioners to picket the Finance Ministry on Friday, February 10, 2022.
This was after the renowned veteran legal practitioner described the move by government to include pensioners in the DDEP as wicked, disrespectful and unlawful while threatening to sue for breach of contract.
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Gabby Othere-Darko called out the former CJ stating that the need for her to have had a better understanding of the issues surrounding the DDEP before taking sides.
Following her utterances, President Akufo-Addo's cousin noted that the CJ eered “big time in her basic appreciation of the issues”.
“Why picket over something you don’t like (the improved offer) when you have the right not to sign up? Sorry, but I struggle to get her emotional outburst over-exemption! “I hope she won’t volunteer to picket tomorrow and on the same issues when the time to sign up has expired,” he wrote.
Responding to the above, Sophia Akuffo, who is at the Finance Ministry again in solidarity with her colleague pensioners, said she's unperturbed by the name-calling because she has witnessed several instances of trust issues by Ghanaians towards government to reach her conclusion.
She also reiterated the long-term effect of the programme on generations noting that it took a while for Ghanaians to invest in government businesses.
"The word bond is not used as a casual term. You know, bond means 'tied to' and when a government bond can be tossed up and down, the tides like that...'flip, flop'...that's a serious thing. For me, my problem with this whole thing is the distraction of the image of this nation. It's something that is being done which will affect several generations. It took us a long time before even normal Ghanaians would buy anything that is government because there was always the suspicion that tomorrow you don't know what will happen."
She added, "I've grown to the age where I have seen it all and therefore I easily become suspicious. Gabby Otchere-Darko can call me paranoid, I don't care. We're talking about people, we're talking about human beings, we're talking about people who have served this country and have served well and have served hard. Not easy service."
