Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has praised the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current administration, saying some of the developments he has witnessed have prompted him to question Ghana’s performance over the past eight years.
Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the Chief Justice said he had been impressed by the institution’s achievements and by reports of improved performance across other state entities.
“I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. See, because sometimes when we hear the things that you have done, the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder; some of us keep wondering what really we have been doing in the past eight years,” he said.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said his earlier visit to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) had further reinforced that impression.
He said he was particularly struck by information about SSNIT’s operations and its assets, especially in light of previous plans to dispose of some of the institution’s major holdings.
“We’ve just come back from SSNIT, we went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard, and we hear, we even heard before we went there, what we were told, if you compare that to the fact that not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.
The comments have been interpreted as a strong endorsement of the performance of public institutions under the current government and as an implicit comparison with the previous eight-year administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Judiciary under scrutiny
The Chief Justice’s remarks have generated debate over the extent to which the head of the Judiciary should comment publicly on the performance of governments and state institutions, particularly given the constitutional requirement for judicial independence.
The comments are also significant in light of the circumstances surrounding Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s elevation to the country’s highest judicial office.
He became Acting Chief Justice in April 2025 after President John Dramani Mahama suspended then-Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo following the determination of a prima facie case against her and the commencement of proceedings under Article 146 of the Constitution. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, who was then the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, subsequently assumed the acting position.
President Mahama nominated him as substantive Chief Justice in September 2025 following Mrs Torkornoo’s removal from office. Parliament approved the nomination in November by 163 votes to 69 after a contentious vetting process that was boycotted by the NPP Minority.
The Minority had opposed the process, arguing that the appointment should not proceed while legal challenges relating to Mrs Torkornoo’s removal remained pending. It also raised concerns about Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s participation in Supreme Court proceedings connected to the matter, which it argued could create a potential conflict of interest.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie rejected suggestions that his appointment was politically motivated. During his vetting, he defended his professional record and maintained that his elevation was based on merit and years of service.
He also pledged to provide bipartisan leadership and uphold the independence of the Judiciary.
His latest comments, however, have renewed discussion about the appropriate boundaries of public commentary by the Chief Justice and the need to preserve public confidence in the political neutrality and institutional independence of the Judiciary.
