Yaw Acheampong Boafo, president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has refuted claims of bias against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In an interview, Mr. Boafo responded to concerns about the GBA’s perceived political alignment, stressing that the Association remains dedicated to upholding constitutional principles, not political partisanship.
“At times this allegation that the Ghana Bar Association is anti-NDC is from the PNDC era,” he made this statement in reference to the military government led by former President Jerry John Rawlings, which eventually transitioned into the NDC.
He rejected these long-standing accusations, emphasizing the Association’s nonpartisan approach in its interactions with political leaders.
He noted the GBA’s history of engagement with various presidents and questioned whether the GBA had ever exhibited favoritism by treating different leaders unequally.
“I always ask if there was something former President Mahama did that the Bar complained about, and President Akufo-Addo did the same thing and we were quiet,” he added.
Mr. Boafo elaborated that the association separates political matters from constitutional issues, ensuring that the GBA refrains from participating in purely political debates.
He contrasted the GBA’s role with that of civil society organizations (CSOs), which can actively engage in political discourse, while the GBA is required to adopt a more reserved approach.
“Civil Society Groups have come up. They don’t have the burden that the Bar has. A GBA President cannot afford the time, the jumping around from one station to the other commenting on every other thing because most of the time the topics that are in the public domain are political matters,” he explained.