Accra: Lawyer and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication team member, Hamza Suhuyini, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of hypocrisy in its criticism of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over his recent comments on the performance of some state-owned enterprises. According to him, the NPP had previously praised the Chief Justice for speaking out on national issues, particularly the fight against illegal mining, but has now questioned his neutrality because his latest remarks appear critical of the party's record in government.
According to Ghana Web, Suhuyini stated that the Chief Justice has the right to express his views on matters of national interest. Speaking on JoyNews' AM Show, Suhuyini emphasized that every Chief Justice has his style and that the current Chief Justice's comments should not be seen as a deviation from his role. These remarks followed Justice Baffoe-Bonnie's visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), where he praised the performance of MIIF and other state institutions.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie highlighted his observations during the visit by questioning what Ghana had been doing in the previous eight years, given the significant developments he witnessed. He expressed his admiration for the achievements, contrasting them with past decisions, like the proposed sale of SSNIT assets such as Labadi Beach Hotel, which he found questionable.
Suhuyini pointed out the inconsistency in the NPP's response, noting that the same party previously commended the Chief Justice for his comments on illegal mining. He argued that the NPP had used the Chief Justice's statements to criticize the government without questioning his neutrality at that time.
He further challenged the NPP to identify any legal or ethical breaches by the Chief Justice, defending the Chief Justice's engagements with state institutions as efforts to promote cooperation and understanding. Suhuyini also supported the Chief Justice's assessment of the country's past economic challenges, citing issues like Ghana's loss of access to international capital markets and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme as evidence of past governance failures.
Through these assertions, Suhuyini questioned the validity of the NPP's criticisms and defended the Chief Justice's right to express his honest views on the state of the nation's affairs.