'No, you help yourself first' - Sophia Akuffo replies Ofori-Atta

The immediate past Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has responded to the finance minister's "help me, I help you" statement.

The astute legal practitioner who joined pensioner bondholders to picket the Finance Ministry on February 10, 2023, stated that the minister for finance must provide accountability for the huge debts that have led the country to its economic crisis.

She noted that the government must provide a solution first before asking Ghanaians to.

Her comment came at the back of the Finance Minister's assertion that failure to have a successful domestic debt exchange programme, the economy might crash.

He added that this calls for a "help me let me help you" attitude from bondholders.

Speaking exclusively to GhanaWeb Business, she said "Why are we in the mess we are in? Nobody has fully explained to us. Debt, yes we took debt. What was it used for? Where's the accountability? Exactly what was it used for? They are not telling us how they are going to be able to make things better but just that help me and I help you, no you help yourself first."

However, the placard she wielded read; "We use our bond yields to pay our rents, medical bills, electricity bills, water bills."

According to her, it is unlawful for the finance ministry to include pensioners in the debt exchange programme.

"It is very heartbreaking to see people, particularly in my age group, some are older than me, somewhat younger than me but these are all people who have worked very hard. They could have left the country when others were going. They stayed, they worked for the nation," she told GhanaWeb Business in an interview.

"I find this wicked, disrespectful, I find it unlawful. I find it totally wrong, period because you don’t solve your problems by sacrificing your aged. That’s the last thing you should do especially when you don't have any services that are actually geared at the comfort and relief of the aged," she added.

Pensioner bondholders have picketed the finance ministry on the fifth consecutive day to demand a total exemption from the programme.

However the deadline for signing on to the debt exchange programme.

SSD/FNOQ