Ghana lecturer criticizes chief justice’s statements about state institutions
Jabir Ibrahim Mohammed, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, said that Ghana’s Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie may have told the truth about the work of state institutions, but chose an inappropriate place to do so. He said this on the JoyNews AM Show, MyJoyOnline reports.
Mohammed’s statement came after Baffoe-Bonnie visited the Ghana Minerals Investment Fund on September 2. During the visit, the chief justice positively assessed the work of the fund and other state institutions under the current administration. Earlier, he visited SSNIT and said he was impressed by the information he heard there about the institution’s activities.
Discussion about SSNIT assets
Baffoe-Bonnie also mentioned previous plans to sell some SSNIT assets, including the Labadi Beach Hotel. According to him, such plans raise questions about how Ghana could have “fallen so low.” These comments sparked a political controversy: the New Patriotic Party called on the chief justice to resign and join the National Democratic Congress, accusing him of making political comments.
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Mohammed noted that the issue of SSNIT property, including La Palme, Royal Beach and Labadi, had already been discussed publicly. According to him, public opposition played a role in cancelling the sale plans. At the same time, the lecturer questioned whether SSNIT is currently truly operating effectively as a state enterprise and whether the hotels that had previously been planned for sale have good performance indicators.
Call to withdraw the comments
In Mohammed’s opinion, Baffoe-Bonnie could have voiced his observations without political associations. He stressed that MIIF and SSNIT are separate state institutions with different mandates. The lecturer also believes that comments that may be perceived as support for one political force could affect public perceptions of the judiciary’s impartiality.
At the same time, Mohammed disagreed that these remarks alone are sufficient grounds for the chief justice’s resignation or removal. He noted that Ghana’s Constitution provides a separate procedure for such a decision. Instead, the lecturer suggested that Baffoe-Bonnie withdraw the comments, acknowledging that the venue chosen for such statements was inappropriate.
