By Anatu Anne Seidu Bogobiri Esq.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) in charge of Finance and Investment at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Anatu Anne Seidu Bogobiri, has defended the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, against criticism over his recent comments in support of President John Dramani Mahama’s reset agenda.
According to her, the attacks on the Chief Justice for urging Ghanaians to support the government’s development agenda were hypocritical and inconsistent with Ghana’s political history.
She argued that a similar position was taken by a former Chief Justice during the tenure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, particularly regarding the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
In a statement issued on Friday, September 4, 2026, Ms. Bogobiri said history and publicly available records vindicated the current Chief Justice, insisting that judicial officers had not been prohibited from expressing views on matters of national development.
She said the principle should be applied consistently, regardless of which political party was in government.
Sophia Akuffo’s Free SHS Endorsement
Ms. Bogobiri cited comments made by former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo in March 2018 as evidence that a Chief Justice had previously publicly encouraged support for a flagship policy of an incumbent government.
She recalled that at the 181st Speech and Prize-giving Day of Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast, the then Chief Justice commended the government for what she described as a brave decision to introduce the Free SHS policy.
According to Ms. Bogobiri, Justice Sophia Akuffo urged teachers, parents, guardians and school administrators to support the programme to ensure its sustainability and success.
She noted that the comments were publicly reported at the time, including under headlines such as “Chief Justice calls for support for Free SHS.”
Ms. Bogobiri quoted the former Chief Justice as saying that while the government deserved commendation for taking the bold step to implement Free SHS, the policy required periodic fine-tuning.
She said the former Chief Justice subsequently called on stakeholders to offer their wholehearted support as partners in ensuring the survival and sustenance of the programme.
‘Why the Double Standard?’
Ms. Bogobiri questioned why the current Chief Justice should be subjected to criticism for expressing support for an economic and development agenda when a former Chief Justice had made similar comments about a flagship policy of a previous administration.
She maintained that the issue should not be viewed through partisan lenses, arguing that national development initiatives should receive support when they are considered beneficial to the country.
“If it was nation-building when Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo called for support for Free SHS, then it is also nation-building when Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie calls for support for President Mahama’s reset agenda that seeks to benefit all Ghanaians,” she stated.
She therefore called for consistency in public discourse, stressing that the standard used to assess public statements by judicial officers should not change depending on which political party is in power.
Constitutional Right
The NHIA DCEO further argued that the 1992 Constitution guarantees citizens, including Justices of the Superior Courts, the right to hold opinions on matters of national interest.
She distinguished between expressing an opinion on national development and engaging in partisan political activity.
According to her, urging citizens to support a national development agenda did not, by itself, amount to partisan politics.
She said the judicial oath primarily required judges to be impartial when adjudicating cases before them and did not make them “silent robots” on matters concerning national development.
“Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was not speaking from the bench. He was, as a statesman, encouraging citizens to support a development agenda he believes will benefit Ghana,” she said.
‘Leadership, Not Party Politics’
Ms. Bogobiri said the Chief Justice’s remarks should rather be viewed as an expression of leadership and patriotism.
She maintained that the judiciary and its leadership, while required to remain independent and impartial in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities, were not necessarily barred from contributing to national conversations outside the courtroom.
“Justice Baffoe-Bonnie was not speaking from the bench,” she reiterated, adding that his comments should therefore not automatically be interpreted as partisan political advocacy.
She further argued that in several democratic jurisdictions, senior judicial figures sometimes contribute to discussions on national progress, governance and development without necessarily compromising their judicial responsibilities.
‘Ghana First’
The NHIA official urged Ghanaians to place the national interest above partisan considerations when discussing government policies and programmes.
She said the success of any government should ultimately translate into benefits for the country and its citizens, regardless of the political party in power.
“The President’s success is Ghana’s success. Ghana first,” she stressed.
Ms. Bogobiri consequently called on critics of the Chief Justice to reconsider their position and apply the same standard to public officials across different political administrations.
She said the controversy surrounding the Chief Justice’s comments should rather provide an opportunity for Ghanaians to promote consistency, patriotism and a shared commitment to national development.
She concluded that if the public endorsement of Free SHS by a former Chief Justice under the Akufo-Addo administration was considered a contribution to nation-building, then the current Chief Justice’s call for support for the Mahama administration’s reset agenda should equally be regarded as an expression of commitment to Ghana’s development.
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