The Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo has joined pensioners to picket at the Finance Ministry and slammed government over the Domestic Debt Exchange calling the decision ‘Wickedness’ and adding that ‘she is no longer in government and her mouth is now ungagged’.
The Former Chief Justice surprising joined the group of pensioners on Friday, 10 February 2023 to picket at the Finance Ministry to compel the government to exempt pensioners from the debt restructuring which will affect their coupon payments.
I am over 70 years now, I am no longer government employed, my mouth has been ungagged, 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. She said.
According to the Former Chief Justice, the government of Ghana led by Akuffo-Addo has failed Ghanaians and failed in managing the economy and wants to force Ghanaians especially pensioners to accept the debt restructuring exercise.
She added that government is disrespecting the elderly who have sacrificed their lives for the development of the nation which is ‘unlawful and wrong’.
Government as part of reaching a deal with the IMF is supposed to restructure its debt. Ghanaians and some economists have opine that the move by government is not ideal as government has refused to reduce the size of government and cut their expenditure which may show responsibility on the part of government.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has cautioned the country of an impending economic challenge should government fail to restructure its debt, a prerequisite to reach a deal with the IMF.
The 73-year-old Former Chief Justice who was seen holding a placard that read ‘We use our bond yields to pay our rents, medical bills, electricity bills and water bills’ also threatened to take legal action should government fail to exclude pensioners from the programme.
