TEMA, Ghana, 5th September: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has defended Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie against criticism from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisting that the Chief Justice did nothing wrong and should not resign.
Mr Koomson dismissed the NPP’s demand for the Chief Justice to step down, describing the opposition party’s position as politically motivated and accusing its members of seeking every possible avenue to regain power.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, August 5, Mr Koomson applauded the Chief Justice for his recent visits to state institutions, including the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), as well as his observations on their performance.
According to him, comments attributed to the Chief Justice during his engagement at MIIF, particularly his question about what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years, did not amount to wrongdoing.
He argued that the Chief Justice, as a Ghanaian citizen, had the right to express his views on national issues, particularly matters concerning the performance and management of state institutions.
Mr Koomson maintained that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith and were intended to acknowledge what he considered improvements in the performance of some state institutions.
He further argued that the remarks did not undermine judicial independence, insisting that the Chief Justice was expressing an opinion based on his observations during his engagements with the institutions.
The comments have generated mixed reactions, particularly following the Chief Justice’s visits to SSNIT and MIIF, where he questioned how some state institutions had been managed over the past eight years and pointed to what he described as improvements in their operations.
The NPP subsequently criticised the remarks, describing them as political and calling on the Chief Justice to retract them or resign.
However, Mr Koomson rejected the opposition party’s position, arguing that the NPP had no basis for demanding the resignation of the Chief Justice.
He cited the controversy surrounding attempts to dispose of some SSNIT-owned hotels, arguing that if organised labour had not strongly resisted the move, the NPP would have sold them out.
Mr Koomson accused the NPP of being desperate to return to power and urged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to remain focused on its mandate and not allow what he described as political manoeuvring by the opposition to distract it.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Service has reaffirmed its support for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie following the controversy.
In a statement, the Judicial Service said the Chief Justice remained deeply committed to upholding the integrity and independence of the Judiciary and promoting equal justice under the law.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
