Ms. Justice Sophia Akuffo
We feel constrained to call out one of the country’s eminent jurists for exhibiting symptoms of verbal diarrhoea in recent times.
She has become a loose cannon on our political landscape behaving like a social commentator or a serial caller who wants to meddle in all affairs of the state.
Her Ladyship, Ms. Justice Sophia Akuffo, not too long ago the Chief Justice of the Republic, has become very predictable in the public space. The second female Chief Justice of our land and during her tenure the fourth most important person in Ghana, after the President, Vice President and the Speaker, Ms. Sophia Akuffo is gradually reducing that office to nothingness by poking her nose in matters that do not require her intervention.
The position of the Chief Justice is a revered one, especially as the head of the Judiciary, which acts as a bulwark against the abuse of Executive and Legislative power. The courts that she headed, have from time immemorial been the final arbiter in disagreements in our society.
Thus all our judges and magistrates are not only held in high esteem but are revered because of the pride of place they occupy in the conduct of public affairs in the country. Many people were shocked to see Ms. Sophia Akuffo picketing at the Ministry of Finance last year to draw attention to the government’s inability to pay bondholders.
Since last year, it is yet to be established whether she held aloft the placard in solidarity with the bondholders or she is also affected by the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP). We know that as a former Chief Justice, who retired on her salary, the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme could not have had dire consequences on her like the normal pensioners.
Quite unfortunately, such a notable person has also become as predictable just like she said about the Judiciary. We believe she has a personal axe to grind with the Akufo-Addo government, for reasons best known to her, but we can conjecture that it may have something to do with the failure of President Akufo-Addo to appoint her to the Council of State.
It is difficult to tell whether a person of her stature would want to descend into the gutter to play the dirty game of politics. Otherwise, will the former Chief Justice instead of writing her memoirs, to share her rich experiences with us, decide to be a social commentator to take a position publicly to call out the government that not too long ago, she was an integral part of?
We are not saying that when things are not going well, she should maintain a loud silence. Far from it. Criticism is deemed to be well meaning if it is accompanied by suggestions for solutions, otherwise such a person qualifies to be part of the opposition politicians whose strategy is to pull down the government.
Opposition politicians of our time are behaving like the proverbial crabs in the bucket who never allow any of them to make progress.
We may be right to say that she wants to catch the attention of the NDC and its flagbearer, John Mahama, in the unlikely event that he wins the December 7 elections, she may be considered for appointment to the Council of State. After all, it is no secret that, she comes from a family in Akropong Akuapem that is sympathetic to the NDC.
Let us make it clear that we do not begrudge anybody for his or her political affiliations. Our acceptance of multi party democracy means, we can all not think alike.
Political differences and ideologies are to be tolerated and encouraged to help our democracy to blossom and endure. However, we detest the hypocrisy of a section of our respected members of society who hide behind the independence of their profession and so called neutrality to undermine the government for personal gain.