History Vindicates Baffoe-Bonnie- Anatu Bogobiri Response to CJ’s Critics
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Anatu Anne Seidu Bogobiri Esq., has defended Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie against criticism over his recent endorsement of President John Dramani Mahama’s reset agenda,
According to her, history shows that past Chief Justices have made similar statements in support of government programmes without being accused of partisanship.
According to Ms Bogobiri, attempts to condemn the Chief Justice for encouraging Ghanaians to support an agenda he believes will benefit the country are “hypocritical and historically dishonest.”
She cited former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo’s public endorsement of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as evidence that Chief Justices have previously expressed support for major government initiatives without their impartiality being questioned.
In March 2018, during the 181st Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast, then-Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo commended the Akufo-Addo administration for what she described as the “brave step” of implementing the Free SHS policy.
She subsequently called on teachers, administrators, parents and guardians to give their wholehearted support to the policy to ensure its survival and sustainability.
Ms Bogobiri said the statement was particularly significant because Free SHS was one of the flagship programmes of the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Similar statements were made by past Chief Justices under President Akufo-Addo and were rightly hailed as nation-building,” she said.
“The facts are verifiable and on public record.”
She argued that the same standard should apply to Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who has called on Ghanaians to support President Mahama’s reset agenda because of its potential benefits to the country.
Ms Bogobiri maintained that such an appeal should not automatically be interpreted as partisan political activity.
“The unwarranted attack on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for stating that President Mahama’s reset agenda will benefit Ghana and deserves collective support is hypocritical and historically dishonest,” she said.
She further argued that the 1992 Constitution guarantees every Ghanaian, including Justices of the Superior Courts, the right to hold opinions on matters of national interest.
“Calling for collective support for a national development agenda is not partisan politics; it is patriotism,” she stated.
She contended, the judicial oath requires judges to remain impartial when adjudicating cases before them but does not require them to remain silent on issues concerning national development.
“The Judicial Oath requires Judges to be impartial in adjudicating cases before them, not to be silent robots on national development,” she said.
Ms Bogobiri stressed that Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was not making the comments from the bench or in the course of determining a case, but was speaking as a citizen and statesman encouraging Ghanaians to support a national development agenda.
“Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was not speaking from the bench. He was, as a statesman, encouraging citizens to support a development agenda he believes will benefit Ghana. That is leadership, not party politics,” she said.
She therefore urged critics to apply the same standard to all Chief Justices, regardless of which political party is in government.
“If it was nation-building when Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo called for support for Free SHS, then it is also nation-building when Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie calls for support for President Mahama’s reset agenda that seeks to benefit all Ghanaians,” Ms Bogobiri said.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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