From drawing water at Kramomu to the bench: Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie returns to humble roots in Goaso

In a poignant homecoming that blended official duty with deep personal nostalgia, Ghana’s new Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, returned to his hometown of Goaso over the weekend to commission a new High Court complex. The visit, however, quickly transformed into a celebration of humble beginnings and the profound journey from a small town to the pinnacle of the nation’s judiciary.

For the people of Goaso, the name Baffoe-Bonnie is etched into the town’s history. The Chief Justice’s roots run deep in the community. His late father, Opanin Joseph Baffoe-Bonnie, originally from Sewua in the Ashanti Region, settled in Goaso as a cocoa farmer. There, he raised his family, solidifying their place in the town. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s mother, the late Madam Akosua Amponsaa (affectionately known as Akonsaa), was a native of Goaso, further anchoring the family’s heritage.

Opanin Baffoe-Bonnie, a devout Catholic and former president of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, was remembered by locals as a man of vision. At a time when formal education was not a priority for many, he invested heavily in his children’s schooling—a decision that would ultimately produce a future Chief Justice.

During his visit, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie embarked on a pilgrimage down memory lane. He visited the Roman Catholic Primary School where his educational journey began and attended a service at St. Anthony’s Cathedral, the very church his father once led. He also paid a courtesy call on the traditional council to seek their blessings.

The official reason for the visit was to commission the town’s new High Court complex, a major boost to the area’s judicial infrastructure. But it was during his speech at the ceremony that the Chief Justice shed his formal robes to reveal the little boy from Goaso.

He regaled the gathering with vivid childhood memories, speaking of daily treks to the Kramomu well to fetch drinking water—a chore he said built character and resilience. He fondly recalled carefree days swimming in the Goa River, often returning home with his skin wrinkled from the water.

Most remarkably, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie revealed the spark that ignited his legal career. As a child in basic school, he was a frequent visitor to the old District Court. Too young to enter, he would stand outside and peer over the wall, captivated by the proceedings.

“I was attracted to the decorum and eloquence of the lawyers who appeared there,” he told the audience.

Little did that young observer know that those childhood glimpses into a modest courtroom would sow the seeds for a destiny that has seen him rise to become the highest judicial officer in the land.

For the people of Goaso, the homecoming of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie served as a powerful testament that no matter how high one rises, one’s roots remain the anchor. It was a moment of immense pride for the community to see the boy who once fetched water from Kramomu and swam in the Goa River return as Chief Justice—proving that from the most humble beginnings, great things can indeed grow.