Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary John Boadu says the recent public comments by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie undermine the judiciary and the revered office of the Chief Justice.
According to Boadu, the Chief Justice’s conduct in commenting on politically sensitive economic matters is unbecoming of the leader of the bench.
“Justice Baffoe-Bonney’s comments lately undermine the judiciary and the revered office of the Chief Justice. His conduct is undeserving of the leader of the bench,” Mr. Boadu stated on his social media handles.
The aspiring National Chairman of the NPP warned that such commentary from the head of the judiciary risks eroding public confidence in judicial neutrality and independence.
The criticism follows remarks made by Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie on Wednesday, September 2 during an official working visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
During the tour, the Chief Justice commended MIIF and SSNIT for what he described as improved efficiency under the current administration, while openly questioning Ghana’s performance under the previous administration.
He said: “Sometimes when we hear how well some state organisations are doing now, we wonder what we really have been doing in the past eight years?”
He further stated that when compared 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”.
The comments, which directly reference the past eight years of the NPP administration, have been widely condemned as partisan by many.
John Boadu, a former Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), slammed the Chief Justice for being ignorant in financial matters.
“The Chief Justice is very ignorant in financial matters. I spent a year at SIGA and can report that under NDC, only 18 Specified Entities filed both audited and draft financial statements. Under NPP, the number went up by 147 in 2023,” Mr. Boadu disclosed.
According to him, the NPP government introduced far-reaching reforms at SIGA that significantly improved compliance, transparency and financial discipline among Specified Entities – a record that he says contradicts the impression created by the Chief Justice’s comments.
Mr. Boadu maintained that persons occupying the revered office of Chief Justice must demonstrate analytical rigour and institutional restraint, and avoid comments that can be interpreted as political endorsements.
“When the head of the judiciary begins to sound like a government spokesperson, it damages the credibility of the entire judiciary. That conduct is undeserving of the leader of the bench,” he stressed.