Like many Ghanaians across the country, we were dumbfounded when we saw an image of a person who resembled Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie subtly heaping plaudits on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and doing the contrary for their predecessors. It was a disturbing exercise in political chicanery by a Chief Justice, the first in the history of this country, pre and post-independence.
In his oration, he wondered why in the past eight years much was not done but under the NDC, in less than two years, so much has been covered.
He almost doffed his hat for the NDC whose reset agenda exalted him to the highest office in the judiciary. We thought that whoever generated the choreograph had done a great disservice to the Chief Justice and to justice delivery in this country given the negative impact it would have on this arm of government.
It was a comparative analysis which should have been presented by an NDC propaganda secretary. We thought it could be an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated presentation, but so many hours after the despicable presentation and no disclaimer coming from the highly learned gentleman, we are constrained to dispel our doubt.
The man who said for the past years the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) performance pales in the face of the NDC’s was our own Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.
It is for good reasons that members of the bench are placed in an exalted position in society; the Your Worship, Your Ladyship and the My Lords are part of the compliments enjoyed by these special personalities.
They are expected also to be apolitical in their dealings, although being Ghanaians they too have their political lineages and so vote for their preferences during elections.
They should not become socialite just so the positions they hold are not compromised.
For the first time in the history of the judiciary, the office has been debased so badly that without an emergency treatment to reverse the so-called reset agenda, the remaining iota of deference attached to the skeleton of the judiciary would be lost. Even before this stage, certain questionable judgments have been served which have impacted on the deference of this arm of government.
The judiciary has been shaken to its foundation and it would take concerted efforts of a new government to restore the respect it deserves to perform its functions of adjudication without fear or favour.
What business has the Chief Justice got to do with visiting government establishments and to be showering praises upon them “for jobs well done” when he could be visiting the over hundred court complexes built by former President Akufo-Addo?
Someone remarked that when he heard the audio, he thought he was listening to an NDC branch chairman until he saw the video of the Chief Justice’s virtuoso performance.
The only difference between him and an NDC activist on a campaign trail was that he was not wearing an ‘Eye zu T-Shirt’.
In some jurisdictions, this Chief Justice would have done the honourable thing; resign his appointment.
Under the circumstances, he is in a good position to be removed from office through the constitutionally laid down procedure.
The former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo should be giggling in her corner somewhere as she listens to the backlash generated by her successor’s goof.
What went into this otherwise gentleman’s head to stoop so low?
We still have doubts whether the depiction was our Chief Justice.
Considering the controversy underpinning the removal of the previous Chief Justice, President John Mahama too must be concerned about this classic faux pas by a man who should know better.
At a time the judiciary is being tongue-lashed for allowing the executive to bamboozle the principle of Separation of Powers and, as it were, interfering in its work, the country under the NDC is doomed.
He was virtually on a political tour of selected state institutions, having praised Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) too for doing wonderfully well. For his information, the assets which were intended for privatisation under the NPP, especially the Labadi Beach Hotel and others, are still in the doldrums.
For him to create the impression that the previous decision was unwise suggests that he is ignorant about the true state of the Trust’s books. The consideration to offload some hospitality assets of the Trust has come up again.