Sophia Akuffo Fires Back At Gabby Otchere-Darko

Justice Sophia Akuffo, the immediate past Chief Justice, has fired back at Gabby Otchere-Darko following Gabby’s comment that she “erred big time” in her basic appreciation of the issues in relation to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Gabby Otchere-Darko in a tweet on Sunday reacting to the gesture by the former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, to picket the Finance Ministry together with pensioner bondholders said her move was done in “error.”

“For a former CJ [Chief Justice] to take up a noble cause such as she did but at such late hour when all was done and for all that publicity, she owed it to herself and her social standing to have understood the issues far better than what she exhibited last Friday. She is bigger than that,” Gabby tweeted.

(6) For a former CJ to take up a noble cause such as she did but at such late hour when all was done and for all that publicity, she owed it to herself and her social standing to have understood the issues far better than what she exhibited last Friday. She is bigger than that.

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023

(2) Whiles I have sympathies for those picketing, I think we should be bold enough to ask them what really is the purpose? Why picket over an offer which you have the liberty not to accept? You are asking to be exempted but from an improved offer programme which is voluntary!

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023

(3) 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!

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) February 12, 2023

This morning [Feb 14, 2023], Justice Akuffo joined the pensioner bondholders again to picket the Ministry of Finance and speaking to the press, she replied Gabby.

“Gabby Otchere-Darko can call me paranoid”.

“I don’t care. We are talking about people, we are talking about human beings, we are talking about people who have served this country, and have served well and have served hard, not easy service.”

“When you are not a member of government and you are calling yourself a member of government, so that is all I have got to say about this matter, that is why I am still sitting here.” Justice Sophia Akuffo said.

I don't have time for people like Gabby Otchere Darko; He is a disturbance – Sophia Akuffo. #JoyNews pic.twitter.com/HHtBMafLZs

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) February 14, 2023

Is Gabby a member of the government? People like him aren’t important to my life – Sophia Akuffo, Former Chief Justice of Ghana.#MiddayLive #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/LGDXHR4U82

— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 14, 2023

Asked for a comment on whether there was a mistrust for government and that is why she is still joining the protest even though government has said maturing coupons will be paid, Justice Akuffo said, “paper talks, paper talks, empty talks fly with the wind.”

“So we are waiting when they become due we shall see, it will be better that for all of us and for people who have served the nation…

She said the pensioner bondholders chose not to sign unto the DDEP, “now the way things are going, what I sense and what I smell is the creation two categories of people, of two classes of people, those who have been exempted by the issuer… now they are calling those who refused to sign unto the debt exchange, they are calling them self exempt, they simply refused to sign and they simply want to sign unto the original bond that they had with the government.”

“The word bond is not used as a casual term, bond means tied to [my word is my bond], and when a government bond can be tossed up and down like that, flip flop, that is serious thing. For me my problem with this whole thing is the destruction of the image of this nation, and something which is being done for generations. It took a long time before the normal Ghanaians will even buy anything that is government, because there was always the suspicion, tomorrow, you don’t know what happen.

Now they are re-introducing that. The letter that was written to the minister, exempt us from your programme, we are pensioners. Up till now, I have seen a copy of the letter, up till now, there is not even a note of acknowledgement and yet a few days ago, similar letters written to the Minister has been responded to.