Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George, has described Gabby Otchere-Darko’s riposte to ex-Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo’s condemnation of government’s domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP) as a ‘family fight’.
But according to Sam George, though the disagreement between the former Chief Justice and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart is a family affair, the public must get involved due to its far-reaching consequences on the whole nation.
Speaking to 3News, the MP indicated that Mr Otchere-Darko’s reactions to Sophia Akuffo’s concerns about the DDEP were not appropriate.
He said the concerns by the former apex court head were valid and not deserving of Mr Otchere-Darko’s dismissive responses.
“Under normal circumstances we would have said this ebusua ntɔkwa (family feud), but we can’t leave them because what they’re fighting over is public welfare, public funds, public monies that have been mismanaged,” the MP said.
He continued, “And the arrogance with which Gabby is shouting down the Chief Justice who’s raising critical issues about mismanagement of our economy gets me worried”.
It will be recalled that last week Friday, Madam Sophia Akuffo joined a group of aggrieved retirees to protest the inclusion of pensioners in government’s debt exchange programme.
At the said picketing at the Finance Ministry, the visibly displeased former Chief Justice berated government for the inconveniences created for pensioners.
According to her, as long as the situation has to do with the contractual rights of pensioners, she cannot sit unconcerned.
“I’m seeing it purely from a legal point of view, their contractual rights being threatened. Then I have to say something. I have to join them in solidarity. Their pain is my pain because I have retired sisters, I have retired friends, and so on and so forth,” she said on Friday.
But in a sharp rebuttal through series of tweets on Sunday, Gabby Otchere-Darko criticised the former Chief Justice for joining her colleague pensioners to picket the Finance Ministry on Friday.
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The cousin of President Akufo-Addo said the former Chief Justice should have taken the time to understand issues pertaining to the ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DEEP) before choosing the side of the pensioners.
According to Mr Otchere-Darko, government has reviewed its first position and settled on a 15% yield maturing in five years instead of the initial 15 years, and making it voluntary for individual bondholders to participate.
“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”, Mr Otchere-Darko tweeted.
His comments have however, been criticised by the Ningo-Prampram MP and others.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved pensioners have threatened to continue picketing at the Finance Ministry until government fully assures them that their investments will not be affected.
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