The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has criticised Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over comments commending state-owned enterprises under the current administration.

She made the statement during her address at the 2026 Ghana Bar Association Conference in Ada.

The GBA President said the recent commendation and comparison of a state institution by no less a person than the Chief Justice left much to be desired.

“We do not want to believe that what happened was a fulfilment of Matthew 12:34, that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” she said.

The comments relate to remarks made by Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie during working visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

At MIIF, the Chief Justice praised the institution’s performance and said developments there had left him wondering what Ghana had been doing over the past eight years.

“I must congratulate you… we wonder; some of us keep wondering what really we have been doing in the past eight years,” he said. At SSNIT, he contrasted current operations with previous plans to sell assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The remarks have drawn mixed reactions. The Judicial Service said the observations were made in good faith and were not intended to undermine judicial independence.

However, civil society groups and faith-based organisations have raised concerns.

CDD-Ghana said such commentary creates a perception of political bias and risks breaching the Code of Conduct for Judges, while the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference said the Chief Justice could have commended the institutions without political comparisons.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorm

If there is a club Kumasi Asante Kotoko would want to avoid, definitely it would be Kpando Heart of Lions, and not Hearts of Oak.

Kotoko and Hearts have sold to soccer fans some of the electrifying football atmosphere to underline their age-long rivalry.

Despite their stature in Ghana football, however, the lions from Kpando have been the most difficult and toughest opponents for the Porcupine Warriors.

Clashes between Kotoko and Hearts have produced mixed outcomes. It remains one of the few games which outcomes can be very challenging to predict.

But the story with Heart of Lions is straightforward. It hands them the dominance card over Kotoko; making them favourites most of the time when they are paired together.

Tomorrow at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, the Porcupine Warriors would slug it out in their Matchday 2 encounter of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) with Heart of Lions.

Asante Kotoko and Heart of Lions have faced each other in 12 recorded official head-to-head matches, with Heart of Lions holding the upper hand.

They boast six wins, and two for Asante Kotoko, with the rest of the four ending in draws.

As recent as the last three years, Kotoko has been winless in their last six games, registering three draws with the Lions winning three.

This clearly suggests that the Porcupine Warriors would be engaged in another battle of their lives when they welcome Heart of Lions to the Baba Yara Stadium, a venue that has proven to be a comfortable hunting ground for the visitors.

Coming from a 1-1 draw against Debibi United on Matchday 1 and a Democracy Cup victory over Hearts of Oak, Kotoko must be ready to clip the claws of the deadly Lions if they hope to tame them to halt that trend.

The Bibiani Dun’s Park is also expected to be full of fireworks as GoldStars welcome Hearts of Oak.

It will be one that will draw the fans in the area as both sides prepare the game with different agenda. While Hearts emerged 4-0 conquerors of Berekum Chelsea in Accra, GoldStars suffered a 1-0 loss to Bechem United.

The quest to consolidate the week one gains or to bounce back from defeat would conspire to make the game a mouthwatering one.

Swedru All Blacks would also engage Debibi United at the Swedru Stadium while Berekum Chelsea lock horns with Dreams FC at the Golden City Park and Karela against Bechem United.

At the Aliu Mahama Stadium, Karela United will face Bechem United; Young Apostles versus Basake Holy Stars at the Wenchi Stadium while Aduana FC take on Sarmatex.

The round will commence today with a fierce tie between FC Ashantigold versus Vision FC.

By Andrew Nortey

SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS

You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.

Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27