Sam Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram has described recent events involving Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo as a ‘family fight.’
Sophia Akufo joined pensioners demanding their total exclusion from government's Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) with Gabby describing her participation in later tweets as a big error on her part.
He also questioned whether there was the need at all to engage in a picket over a DDEP that was voluntary according to the Ministry of Finance.
Reacting to Gabby's attack on the former CJ, Sam George, defended Madam Akuffo whiles slamming Gabby for exhibiting arrogance in his reaction to the incident.
He said on TV3's New Day programme (February 13, 2023) that the issue was more of a family fight referencing the relationship between both actors and their common relative, president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“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 added; “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.”
Retired CJ Sophia Akuffo, joined the retirees picketing at the Ministry of Finance in Accra late last week.
The pensioners have been picketing at the premises of the ministry since Monday, February 6, 2023, over the government’s plan to involve their bonds in the DDEP.
Sophia Akufo was captured in a front-seat position at the premises of the Ministry holding a wooden placard.
Her placard read: “We use our bond yields to pay our: rent, medical bills, electricity, and water bills.”
On the other hand, Gabby Otchere-Darko, posted tweets challenging the propriety of Madam Akuffo’s actions.
According to him, the offer to self-exempt has been given to pensioners, therefore, there is no need to picket when they could just self-exempt.
In a series of tweets on February 12, 2023, he wrote: "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!"
"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 added.
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Sam Nartey George, MP for Ningo Prampram