Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has advised pension bond holders to stop continuing to protest at the ministry.
He said the protest over the controversial domestic debt exchange programme is needless because implementation was voluntary.
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He argued that voluntary implementation was over and the government would honor its obligations to bondholders, including retirees who had voluntarily opted out of the scheme.
Addressing pensioners on Wednesday, February 15, the finance minister said there was no need for protests at the moment.
“Really, there is no reason for us to be sitting here because that assurance has been given on paper. I want to know what it is that you are afraid of or that you think will not happen. My issue is that now you have very little of the old bonds existing. This means that, in the event of a crisis, your ability to trade your papers is diminished. But that is the choice you made,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
His engagement was cut short by Oliver Barker-Vormawor, leader of the lobby group #FixTheCountry, who came to support the scavengers accusing the minister of lack of trust.
“It is important because our conversation has been about building a protest culture. A culture where persons affected by public policy decisions by political officers do not sit aside but raise their voice and match that voice with the determination to show up when it matters.”
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“When these things are happening, it is also important that persons are inspired by this in the spirit of resilience. So with what these pensioners have shown, it is important that we, the young ones also show up for them by mobilizing people to carry forward the message of resistance expressed even with their age”, Barker-Vormawor emphasized.
This interruption angered the minister, who was subsequently taken away by his security.
