Yaw Acheampong Boafo, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has provided insight into the immense pressures and demands of his position, which he describes as both prestigious and challenging.
Speaking on StarrChat with Bola Ray, Mr. Boafo stated, “Being a Bar President is very prestigious, but it’s also stressful. It’s not a paid job, yet the sacrifices you make and the responsibilities you bear are enormous.” He further explained that the role requires balancing professional integrity while managing the diverse and often conflicting opinions of lawyers.
He shared that, “On my last day at the conference, the junior lawyers were tormenting me, and I thought, ‘God is punishing me because I remember when I was a junior lawyer, I used to get into trouble,’” he said, laughing.
The GBA President highlighted the unique difficulty of leading a body comprised of individuals who are trained to argue and question authority. “Every lawyer has an opinion. It’s an entitlement that all of us have, and at times, lawyers don’t seem to have humility,” Boafo commented, pointing out the challenge of managing an association with 2,500 lawyers, each with their own perspective. “You cannot be Bar President and not have opinionated individuals,” he said, emphasizing that dealing with such diverse viewpoints is part of the job.
Despite the stress, Boafo remains dedicated to his role, acknowledging that the challenges are inherent to the position. “You know very well that when you become Bar President, you’re going to have to deal with it, so you psych your mind for it,” he stated, adding that his time in office has been a period of significant personal and professional development. “It’s part of the job, and you have to be built for it,” he concluded, expressing his readiness to handle the complexities of his role throughout his term.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Mary Asantewaa Buabeng