Kwabena Marfo, a broadcast journalist with Despite Media group has censured Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta over the decision to include pensioners in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Kwabena Marfo says the move by the finance ministry smacks of heartlessness and insensitivity on the part of finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

He wonders if Ken Ofori-Atta exhorted his mind to the plight of the pensioners and the possible effect of the move on them before rolling out the programme.

“He is heartless and insensitive to the plight of the people. Only someone who doesn’t care and has concern for people will do what Ken Ofori-Atta is doing. Most of the people you see holding the bible are hypocrites.

"If you want to sin and go scott free, just take up the Bible. These are some of the reasons people don’t go to church. If Ken Ofori-Atta was in my church, I wouldn’t step there. I won’t even attend his church. I have never seen a heartless human being like that. How do you go after the monies of pensioners. These little monies from the pensioners and you want to touch it.

“Has he thought about the people who could die as a result? Has he thought about the people who will not able to afford medications? How can you take the country ransom and behave like we are slaves. We shall see in 2024,” he fumed.

The decision to include pensioners in the DDEP has courted controversy with concerns over how the over-60-year-olds will survive.

Peter Kojo Nyansepe, a 77-year-old sick retiree is dreading the program as he believes it could drive him to his grave.

He told Joy News that he will picket at a branch of the GCB to retrieve his monies.

“I gave the money to the Ghana Commercial Bank so they’ll give me the money before I come. I’m going to stay there.

“If they say the money is not there, I’m going to stay there. I’m going to stay there until they carry me wherever they want to carry me because I cannot walk myself so they’ll carry me.

“Wherever they want to carry me they have to carry me and go. That’s the only thing I can do. I cannot fight them also”, he said.

Meanwhile the Pensioner Bondholder Forum called off its earlier threat to picket at premise of Ministry of Finance last week.

The decision follows invitations for extensive talks with the ministry over the DDEP.