Former President John Dramani Mahama says the prevailing economic challenges in the country is the result of President Akufo-Addo's 'arrogance', in addition to the 'incompetence' of his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

In a Facebook post on Friday, he stated that the current challenges could have been avoided if government had heeded to earlier calls for a national dialogue.

According to him, when the economy started deteriorating, he was part of those who stressed the need for consensus to help salvage the situation.

This he said, however fell on deaf ears, leading to the ongoing widespread public agitations and the gloomy outlook of the economy.

"When I noticed we were running into an economic ditch, I made several calls for a genuine dialogue and national consensus on an economic programme.

"The arrogance and intransigence of a President, and incompetence of a Finance Minister and the Economic Management Team have led us here.

"We could have forged a broad non-partisan consensus on the IMF bailout and accompanying debt restructuring programme", Mahama wrote.

"Alas, it seems too late now!", the former President added.

The 2020 NDC flagbearer made these remarks in reaction to a publication about Sophia Akuffo's outburst on government's Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Earlier today, the former Chief Justice was spotted picketing the Finance Ministry along with aggrieved pensioners demanding the exemption of retirees’ investments from the programme.

She hoisted a placard with the inscription ‘We depend on our bond yields to pay our rent, medical bills, electricity bills and water bills".

Speaking to JoyNews, she said her ample retirement benefits by virtue of her position does not prevent her from solidarising with her peers who may not be well to do.

The former Chief Justice described the DDE programme as wicked and unlawful.

“I find it wicked, I find it disrespectful, I find it unlawful, I find it totally wrong, period! Because you don’t solve your problems by sacrificing your aged. That is the last thing you should do", she told JoyNews.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/debt-exchange-is-wicked-i-have-to-say-something-sophia-akuffo-joins-pensioners-protest/

Today is the fifth consecutive day members of the forum have showed up at the Ministry.

Government has proposed a 15% coupon rate. But the group of about 50 retirees, amid singing patriotic Ghanaian songs, have rejected same.

Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum on Monday, February 6, began picketing the Finance Ministry to demand a total exemption of their investments from the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

Meanwhile, a meeting with the pensioners after their picketing on Friday failed to yield the desired results, with the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta still maintaining his grounds.