Ex-CJ Sophia Akuffo Speaks On Serving All Presidents Under Fourth Republic

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Retired Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has refused to be labeled as belonging to or being against a particular party or political ideology.

She cited having served under all five presidents of the Fourth Republic to buttress her view that she had more than anything served the nation.

Her life at the bench spanned 24 years ending in 2019 when she retired having served her final two years as Chief Justice of Ghana, replacing Georgina Theodora Wood, the pioneer woman CJ of Ghana.

In outlining her service to Ghana under different presidents, she told Joy News (February 15) that she started her life at the bench thanks to late President Jerry John Rawlings.

“I made sure that in the speech I was asked to give when I was sworn in by the president as Chief Justice, I made sure that I commented on the peculiar fact that it was president Rawlings who appointed me to the Supreme Court straight from private practice.

“Then it was president Kufuor who nominated me to the African Court and for most of the time, it was presidents Mills or Mahama who would be attending the African Union meetings,” she explained.

She said before the presidents (Mills/Mahama) arrived, they ask staffers to seek special needs that the justices had “and help us with the political powers.”

Sophia Akuffo, who happens to be related to president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was elected CJ in 2017 handing over to the current CJ Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah in 2019.

Asked about the fact that she belonged to a family and friends government, she said: “That is perception…. I know what I am worth in terms of the work that I do and have done… I have acquitted myself very well in every assignment that I have been given,” she stressed.

The former CJ months back hogged news headlines after she lambasted government for the manner in which it went about the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

She joined a group of pensioners at their picketing session in front of the finance ministry in Accra.

By: ghanaweb.com