A wave of controversy has swept through Ghana’s political landscape following remarks by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who questioned the country’s progress over the past eight years during visits to state-owned institutions, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Ofoase-Ayirebi MP, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
The Chief Justice made headlines on Wednesday, September 2, while visiting the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), where he lauded the institution’s achievements under the current administration. “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well… sometimes when we hear the things that you have done, the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder; some of us keep wondering what really we have been doing in the past eight years,” he remarked, appearing to contrast recent performance with that of the previous administration.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Justice had visited the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), expressing similar praise for its current operations and drawing attention to past management decisions. “If you compare that to the fact that not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he noted.
These comments, coupled with the Chief Justice’s ongoing tours of state-owned enterprises, have provoked concern from Mr. Oppong Nkrumah. The MP questioned the appropriateness of such visits, noting, “For all the years that I have followed politics and governance, I haven’t heard of such that the Chief Justice will be touring state-owned enterprises. I haven’t heard of that before.”
He emphasized the traditional independence of the Judiciary from the Executive and Legislature, arguing that judges typically avoid public and political engagements. “It is a well-known, established practice that the Judiciary doesn’t mingle, so you don’t see judges going around mingling in public,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.
He further described the situation as “absolutely shocking” and “unprecedented,” expressing bewilderment at both the nature of the Chief Justice’s remarks and his involvement with state institutions. “If upon that now there are official tours that are going on, it’s bewildering, and then I find it strange to hear some of these comments being made by the Judiciary,” he concluded.
As debate swirls around the Chief Justice’s actions and statements, questions are being raised about the separation of powers and the evolving role of the Judiciary in Ghana’s public life.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com