Pensioner Bondholders convenor urges youth to emulate their style of protest

Former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Convenor for the Pensioner Bondholders, Adu Anane Antwi, has cautioned the youth against the use of violence as a form of protest against government policies.

According to him, the youth should emulate the peaceful style they used against the inclusion of pensioners in the Domestic Debt Exchange.

Reacting to the government's announcement that pensioners who failed to sign onto the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) will be exempted after their eight days’ protest, he said, the youth can protest against any policies without violence.

“We believe that going forward, this is how Ghanaians should go against policies. If any policy comes, you young guys, don’t go and be destroying things and struggling with the police. Peaceful engagement still gives you the result. We didn’t have any strength but sitting down always and picketing we have gotten the result we wanted and you can use this for anything you want to get in Ghana and we have shown the way,” he added.

For the past eight working days, pensioner bondholders have been picketing the Ministry of Finance to register their demand for a total exemption from the debt restructuring exercise.

The demand received a boost when the immediate-past Chief Justice of Ghana, Sophia Akuffo, joined her colleague pensioners demanding total exemption from the DDEP.

Following this development, government, through the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has confirmed that all pensioners who failed to sign onto the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) have now been exempted.

Speaking on the floor of the parliament to brief lawmakers on the progress of the programme, Ken Ofori-Atta said pensioner bondholders now have nothing to worry about concerning their investments.

He added that their coupons and principal payments will however be honoured by government per the maturity period.

The Finance Minister further told lawmakers that a written document has been sent to Pensioner Bondholders informing them of the exemption from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.

“Government remains committed to the wellbeing of our senior citizens. It has caused me great distress that a number of them have picketed at the premises of the Finance Ministry since Monday, I have said that government will honour their coupons…all pensioners who didn’t participate in the debt exchange are exempted,” he told lawmakers in parliament on February 16, 2023.

YNA/DA