Mensah Thompson, the executive director of ASEPA, claimed that a recent assault on retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo was regrettable, but that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s remarks on the subject are even more troubling.
On February 15, Thompson stated to Metro TV news that it appeared the president and the presidency had approved of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s attack on the former CJ.
Otchere-Darko is a stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Akufo-Addo, office of president, nobody has come out to issue a statement to categorically dissociate themselves from the statement of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
“What it shows is that there is a certain level of tacit approval and support on the part of government and President Akufo-Addo for the comments of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
“So, you will see that Gabby was insulting the Chief Justice on behalf of the president and that is the gospel truth. But who am I to intervene in a fight between two elephants?” he quizzed.
Thompson described Gabby as delusional and a spin doctor for government.
“Gabby has always been delusional we all know and we know one job he has been doing for this government is (as) a spin doctor. If you follow Gabby on social media, he is a spin doctor.
“What he does is that, he does damage control, political calumny, tries to drive attention from substantive issues, tries to set political agenda and try to dissuade people from taking certain decisions,” he stressed.
Gabby gets served by Sophia Akuffo
The ex-Chief Justice has become topical in the last few weeks after she joined colleague pensioner bondholders who had been picketing at the Ministry of Finance since February 6 demanding total exclusion from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP.)
Mrs. Akuffo’s involvement also saw her slam government’s handling of the programme and the general economic situation of the country.
She received heavy backlash via social media from New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
In her second appearance at the picket this week, she responded to Gabby’s critique among others by referring to him as a nuisance who did not matter to her and her life.
Meanwhile, government has closed the subscription window for the DDEP announcing an 85% subscription rate.
Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta told picketing pensioners on February 15 that their maturing coupons will be honoured even though they had opted against signing up, as in self-exempted from the programme.
Ofori-Atta appeared before Parliament to answer questions over the programme on February 16, 2023.