With the government’s 16^th January deadline for the debt exchange programme looming close, individual bondholders who were just added to the programme are peeved.

Many have accused the government of treating them unfairly and also failing to provide enough information on the modalities of the exchange programme.

The government had introduced the exchange programme to restructure and stabilize its debts to sustainable levels in order to boost economic growth in the New Year.

However, individual bondholders, like Reverend Venunye Gbeblewu, a pensioner says the government’s proposed debt exchange programme will do more harm than good.

According to him, when government announced the debt restructuring programme, he had attempted withdrawing his funds only to find out he would lose 30% of his investment during the transaction.

“But the agreement is that you take my money for three years, you give me benefits for the three years. Then you revert my money back to me. And if you cannot continue, at least give me my money; give me my money so that I can use it for something else,” he said.

Reverend Venunye Gbeblewu who is currently sponsoring his daughter through her university education at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) says without the money, she might have to truncate her education.

He has called on the President and his Finance Minister to “sit down and ask themselves ‘if you were the one.’”

“They should sit down, maybe today they are having their money they don’t need anything so they can misbehave anyhow. They’re eating, they’re drinking, they’re flying, doing anything at all. They’re not reasoning. This is the citizens’ life. They live unconcerned. They should go on,” he said.