Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu Constituency, A. B. A. Fuseini has described recent critique directed at the former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, by leading NPP member, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, as clear evidence of arrogance of power.
According to the MP, Otchere-Darko’s criticism of the former CJ for joining a protest against the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme is representative of “the mindset of the government and arrogance of power.”
The MP while describing the government as having become insensitive and arrogant said: “This speaks volumes on the kind of government that we have, the kind of government that shows not an iota of respect to people who have sacrificed their entire working lives for this country.
“They don’t care about the people of this country, this government is not interested in the people of this country. They are just interested in what they can make (from us) as a nation and that is where the problem is and so for him to say things like this is very unfortunate,” he is quoted as saying in a report by Myjoyonline.com.
Mr Fuseini underscored that Sophia Akuffo instead of vilification from the government deserves praise for picketing in solidarity of pensioner bondholders calling for complete exemption from the DDEP.
“She has shown that she has the disposition to solidarise with the downtrodden, to solidarise with the long-suffering people of this country and especially for very vulnerable pensioners who have nobody to speak for them,” he added.
Gabby calls out former CJ over DDEP picketing
Gabby called out Sophia Akuffo for joining her colleague pensioners to picket the Finance Ministry on Friday, February 10, 2022.
This was after the former CJ described the move by government to include pensioners in the DDEP as wicked, disrespectful and unlawful while threatening to sue for breach of contract.
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Gabby Otchere-Darko called out the former CJ stating that there was the need for her to have had a better understanding of the issues surrounding the DDEP before taking sides.
Following her utterances, President Akufo-Addo's cousin noted that the CJ erred “big time in her basic appreciation of the issues”.
“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,” he wrote.
Responding to the above, Sophia Akuffo, who was at the Finance Ministry again in solidarity with her colleague pensioners on February 14, said she's unperturbed by the name-calling because she has witnessed several instances of trust issues by Ghanaians towards government to reach her conclusion.
She also reiterated the long-term effect of the programme on generations noting that it took a while for Ghanaians to invest in government businesses.
"The word bond is not used as a casual term. You know, bond means 'tied to' and when a government bond can be tossed up and down, the tides like that...'flip, flop'...that's a serious thing. For me, my problem with this whole thing is the distraction of the image of this nation. It's something that is being done which will affect several generations. It took us a long time before even normal Ghanaians would buy anything that is government because there was always the suspicion that tomorrow you don't know what will happen."
She added, "I've grown to the age where I have seen it all and therefore I easily become suspicious. Gabby Otchere-Darko can call me paranoid, I don't care. We're talking about people, we're talking about human beings, we're talking about people who have served this country and have served well and have served hard. Not easy service."
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Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko