21 gun salute for former CJ Sophia Akuffo. - Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tonug, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has commened former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, on her stance concerning the demand by the Pensioners Bondholders to be exempted from government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

According to him, her disposition on the ensuing matter is commendable. To this, he urged the government to do what is right by the stakeholders in the country.

“21-gun salute for former CJ Sophia Akuffo & her courageous fellow senior citizens. The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/Ofori-Atta govt must now retrieve looted public funds from Cary Summers (GHS28.2million); David Adjaye (GHS152million); Frontiers (GHS1.5billion) & leave the aged alone.”

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Several personalities and stakeholders in the country have joined the North Tongu legislator to commend the former Chief Justice.

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, on his part revealed that the “former Chief Justice, Sophia Akufo has spoken in the strongest of terms on behalf of retired senior citizens and others whose investments are severely impacted by the DDE program”. He however questioned whether President Akufo-Addo and finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta will listen to their pleas.

Wading in on the conversation, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, indicated that it is disheartening to see pensioners picketing at the Ministry of Finance to reject their inclusion in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Dr Ato Forson assured Pensioners that Parliament will drag Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to the House on this issue.

“It is disheartening to see our dear pensioners including a former Chief Justice picketing at the MOF over the domestic debt restructuring. I wish to assure her and the rest, parliament is dragging the Finance Minister before us next week and we will represent their interest fully.”

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson

Meanwhile, former President, John Dramani Mahama, has stated that President Nana Akufo-Addo ignored his advice to rally Ghanaians in the effort to surmount the economic challenges facing the country.

According to him, he is on record to have suggested that in circumstances such as the current economic crisis, the support of everyone is important, stressing that government should get the people involved in a non-partisan dialogue to develop solutions.

Mr Mahama further noted that for government to rally the needed support to bring the economy back on track, it had to be transparent about the underlying issues.

Broad non-partisan consensus on the IMF bailout
In a comment following Friday’s decision by a former Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Sophia Akuffo to join pensioners who have been picketing at the Ministry of Finance against the inclusion of pensioners in the domestic debt exchange programme, Mr. Mahama recalled that when the country was running into an economic ditch, he made several calls for a genuine dialogue and national consensus on an economic programme.

He noted that the “arrogance and intransigence” of President Akufo-Addo, his “incompetent” Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Economic Management Team were collectively responsible for the present state of the economy.

“We could have forged a broad non-partisan consensus on the IMF bailout and accompanying debt restructuring programme”.

John Dramani Mahama
He explained that it is too late now for the country to come out of the economic mess government has plunged it into as a result of its incompetence and intransigence.

Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, broke her silence on government’s decision to include pension funds in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) on February 10, 2023.

The former CJ encouraged the bondholders to kick against the 15 percent coupon rate proposal by government. She further urged the Minister of Finance to “better go back to the drawing board and come up with a better proposal otherwise nobody is going to agree to it”.