Chief Justice spoke the truth at the wrong place -Dr Jabir Mohammed
A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Dr Jabir Ibrahim Mohammed, has said Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie may have spoken the truth about the performance of some state institutions, but did so at the wrong place.
Dr. Jabir Ibrahim Mohammed, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, has expressed his opinion that Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie may have spoken the truth about the performance of certain state institutions, but chose an inappropriate venue for his remarks. Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Dr. Mohammed urged a more detailed examination of the Chief Justice's words, questioning whether he has the right to voice his opinions, if it was bold of him to make such a statement, and whether he was telling the truth.
He further inquired whether the opposition's call for the Chief Justice's resignation was justified, emphasizing that the answers to these questions would help determine whether the Chief Justice acted appropriately.
Dr. Mohammed's comments come after the Chief Justice praised the performance of the MIIF fund and other state institutions during his visit to the MIIF on September 2. Earlier, he had voiced his satisfaction with SSNIT's performance during a visit to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. Comparing the situation to previous plans to sell SSNIT assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, the Chief Justice drew attention to the potential decline of Ghana's economic standing.
However, the remarks have sparked political controversy with the New Patriotic Party calling for the Chief Justice's resignation, accusing him of engaging in political commentary.
Dr. Mohammed argued that the Chief Justice's position as a statesman should allow him to make observations without tying them to a political party, stating that he could have avoided direct or indirect political tagging. He emphasized that doing so would have helped prevent the comments from being interpreted as political. The Senior Lecturer acknowledged that the issues raised by the Chief Justice about SSNIT were based on publicly discussed facts, noting that public opposition played a crucial role in preventing the sale of some SSNIT properties.
However, Dr. Mohammed pointed out that the discussion should not end with the proposed sale of SSNIT assets, questioning the current performance of the state-owned enterprise and whether previously considered assets are now performing strong.
The Senior Lecturer reiterated that the Chief Justice's comments were based on accurate facts, but were inappropriate in terms of the venue chosen. Dr. Mohammed questioned why the Chief Justice chose a visit to MIIF to discuss SSNIT's performance and previous asset-related issues, emphasizing that MIIF and SSNIT are separate state institutions with distinct mandates.
He questioned whether commenting on state-owned enterprises' performance is part of the Chief Justice's official responsibilities, and whether it is his role to visit public institutions to make such statements. Dr. Mohammed maintained that the Chief Justice's primary duty is to preside over the judiciary and make decisions on cases within the courts, arguing that such visits should not lead to political commentary.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
