Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary and former Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), John Boadu, has defended the previous NPP administration’s record on State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) accountability, challenging the assessment of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
Mr Boadu said available financial reporting records from SIGA did not support the impression that SOE governance had deteriorated under the NPP administration, arguing that significant progress was made in compliance, reporting and performance monitoring.
His comments follow remarks by the Chief Justice during visits to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
During the visits, the Chief Justice commended the two institutions for what he described as improved efficiency under the current NDC administration while questioning Ghana’s performance over the previous eight years.
He specifically referenced SSNIT’s assets, including Labadi Pleasure Beach, saying the reported situation under the previous administration raised questions about how the country had performed.
The comments have since generated criticism from sections of the legal and political community, with concerns raised about the appropriateness of the Chief Justice making statements that could be interpreted as political commentary.
Joining the debate, Mr Boadu questioned the Chief Justice’s understanding of SOE financial reporting and said the records from his time at SIGA painted a different picture.
“The Chief Justice is very ignorant in financial matters. I spent a year at SIGA and can report that under NDC, only 18 Specified Entities filed both audited and draft financial statements. Under NPP, the number went up by 147 in 2023,” Mr Boadu stated.
According to him, the increase in the number of entities submitting financial statements reflected stronger enforcement of compliance requirements under the NPP administration.
He said SIGA, during his tenure, introduced measures designed to improve the governance and financial accountability of state-owned entities, including performance contracts and stricter reporting requirements.
Mr Boadu maintained that almost all specified entities were required to submit both draft and final audited financial statements, describing the improvement as a significant milestone in the management of state assets.
He therefore disputed any suggestion that the NPP administration presided over a period of widespread deterioration in SOE governance.
The former SIGA Director-General also cautioned holders of high constitutional offices, particularly the Judiciary, to exercise restraint when commenting on technical economic and financial matters that could have political implications.
He argued that public statements from the Chief Justice carry considerable institutional weight and could affect public perceptions of the Judiciary’s neutrality.
The controversy follows calls from the NPP for the Chief Justice to retract his comments or resign, while legal scholar Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor have also criticised aspects of the Chief Justice’s remarks.
Mr Boadu’s intervention has consequently shifted attention to the financial performance, reporting standards and accountability mechanisms of Ghana’s state-owned enterprises, with the former SIGA chief insisting that the record should be assessed on verifiable data rather than political impressions.
