The former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, may mean well but she erred big time in her basic appreciation of the issues. Rather than asking the Govt for exemption at this late hour, why did she simply not 'exempt' herself from exchanging her original bond for the new one! tweeted, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party.
Gabby who suggests the former Chief Justice's reaction is an "emotional outburst" due to a lack of understanding of the issue further hoped "she won't volunteer to picket tomorrow and on the same issues when the time to sign up has expired".
In a series of tweets on February 12, 2023, he also wrote:
(1) As an individual bondholder myself I wish to join the others in thank ling those like Senyo Hosi, Gayheart Mensah and co, who volunteered to lead the advocacy resulting in a far better offer for individual bondholders (particularly pensioners) than the original offer. Ayekoo!
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
(2) Whiles I have sympathies for those picketing, I think we should be bold enough to ask them what really is the purpose? Why picket over an offer which you have the liberty not to accept? You are asking to be exempted but from an improved offer programme which is voluntary!
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
(3) The former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, may mean well but she erred big time in her basic appreciation of the issues. Rather than asking the Govt for exemption at this late hour, why did she simply not 'exempt' herself from exchanging her original bond for the new one!
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
(4) 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.
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
(5) I was among those who pleaded for the exemption of pensioners. But, the Govt had to balance all that with the need to protect the economy for the 33m population and settled on the 15% yield maturing in 5yrs instead of 15, and that the individual was FREE not to participate.
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
(6) For a former CJ to take up a noble cause such as she did but at such late hour when all was done and for all that publicity, she owed it to herself and her social standing to have understood the issues far better than what she exhibited last Friday. She is bigger than that.
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023
Fmr CJ Speaks
Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo has described as "wicked" and "disrespectful" government's decision to include pensioners in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
Speaking to journalists after she joined pensioners to picket at the Ministry of Finance in Accra on Friday, February 10, she said: “We are over 70 years now, I am no longer government employed, my mouth has been unguarded and I am talking and I am saying that we have failed and it is important that the elderly should be respected. I find this wicked, I find it disrespectful, I find it unlawful, I find it totally wrong.”
According to her, “these are all people who have worked, they have worked very hard, they could have left the country when others were going but they stayed, they worked for the nation...Quite a number of people here today, when they retired last two years they have put everything into government bonds, it is a contract and now all of a sudden, you virtually want to force them to agree with you that the repayment of the yield of their investment should be as you dictate it. Why?”
“Why are we in the mess? Nobody has fully explained to us, yes we took debt, what was it used for? and where is the accountability? Exactly what was it used for? You are not telling us about how you are going to be able to make things better but just that ‘help me and I help you’, no, you help yourself first, let me see you doing something serious because we have seen these sort of things too many times" she added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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***barred word*** Kronfuor