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Pensioner Bondholders Forum to drag Finance Ministry to CHRAJ, resume picketing
Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum say they will be dragging the Ministry of Finance to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
This comes after the Ministry indicated its inability to pay the interest demanded by the Bondholders on all matured principals since February, 2023.
Speaking to JoyNews after a meeting with the Finance Ministry, convener of the group, Dr. Adu Anane Antwi said an arbiter is needed for an amicable conclusion to the issue.
He stressed that CHRAJ must indicate whether an issuer can keep their money when it is due to be returned, and deprive them of their investment income.
“First the pensioners are asking for payment of interests on the delayed principals. The issue is that, that is the money we are using to invest to get interest and to buy medication and fend for ourselves. So if you have delayed it in some cases over 108 days, then we are saying you can’t keep the money for free, pay interest as you were paying when the principal was with you. So once you haven’t returned the principal, we are asking for payment of interest.
“I have suggested that we will submit the matter to CHRAJ for CHRAJ to go into it and tell us whether we have a right to demand the interest or not,” he explained.
Touching on the suspended picketing by the group, Dr. Adu Anane Antwi said they will resume the exercise following the refusal of the Ministry to pay them their matured coupons.
He said, although the Finance Ministry had assured the group of payment since last week, their accounts are yet to be credited.
“We were expecting the coupons that were due to be paid but we haven’t received any alert. The Deputy Minister says Bank of Ghana has told them that they have sent money to the banks for the banks to credit our accounts but we haven’t seen any crediting from the banks.
“So once no alert has been seen, we are going to continue with our picketing.
“If by the time we leave here we see an alert that the amount is being paid, we won’t come tomorrow but if we don’t see any alert system working today, we will come again Friday.
“Then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we won’t come and if within those three days we see arrears being paid, we won’t come but if we don’t see that, we will come Thursday and Friday.”
Background
The picketing at the ministry by members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum started in the wake of delays in the payment of coupons and matured principals to pensioners exempted by the government from the domestic debt exchange programme.
A statement said the forum wrote to the Ministry of Finance on March 30, 2023, advising “that pensioners be paid all their outstanding coupons and principals by April 21, 2023, and make payments of subsequent coupons and principals as and when due, and without delays”.
It said at the time of writing the letter of March 30, 2023, “there were 13 coupons and two principals in arrears, with the earliest due amount being in arrears for 38 days.
“We advised in our letter of March 30, 2023, which was copied the Speaker of Parliament, that if the anomalous situation we were complaining about was not resolved by April 21, 2023, we shall be left with no other option than to resume picketing the ministry to further press home our demand for the payment of all coupons and principals in arrears, and an end to payment delays,” it added.
But despite the numerous picketing by the members of the forum, their demands are yet to be met by government.
Credit: Myjoyonline.com
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
