What did you used the loans you took for? – Sophia Akuffo quizzes gov’t

Sophia Akuffo, a former chief justice, asserted that since she is no longer employed by the government, she is free to express her views.

She believes that the government has failed and that it owes the elderly some respect.

It is disrespectful and illegal to include pension bondholders in the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Program, according to a very upset Ms Akuffo, who joined pension bondholders on day 5 of their picketing of the Finance Ministry to make their demands that their investments be heard.

Ms. Akuffo added, “We are over 70 years old now, I am no longer employed by the government, 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 as wicked, disrespectful, unlawful, and totally wrong.

“Quite a number of people here today, when they retired two years ago, they 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?” she quizzed.

Ms Akuffo wants the government to be transparent and accountable to Ghanaians.

“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 sorts of things too many times,” she added.

The government has offered bondholders a 15 percent coupon rate, but the pensioners’ group has declared it won’t tolerate any investment losses.

The group claims that because its members’ livelihoods rely on the revenues, it would not take haircuts on investments.

Like the former CJ, other group members have said they need the money from their investments to pay for their prescription drugs and other necessities, which is why they want the government to completely exempt the investments.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com