‘We should be doing more’ – Former CJ Sophia Akuffo challenges think tanks to step up

A former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has called on public policy think tanks to raise their game and push harder on critical national issues.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday with host George Wiafe, she said more must be done to shape policy and challenge entrenched practices.

“I think we should be doing more,” she stated.

Responding to a question on whether think tanks are comfortable in their space, she pointed to the work of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) as an example of what should be happening.

“At least, I like what we’re doing here at IEA.”

Sophia Akuffo explained that think tanks’ role goes beyond routine commentary. It involves drawing national attention to issues that may be ignored or taken for granted.

“We seek to draw the public’s attention first and foremost, on certain critical issues that may be falling between the cracks or because of long-standing past practices nobody is even thinking of, is this really how it should be done?”

According to her, that reflective function is essential in a democracy. It forces a rethink of systems that have operated for years without scrutiny.

“So we look at those things,” she added.

Sophia Akuffo cited the constitutional review process as a practical example of how think tanks can influence governance and national direction.

“So even with the constitutional review, if you recall, through 2023/24 we were working intensively on coming up with proposals for constitutional review.”

Her comments suggest that think tanks must not only react to policy decisions but proactively shape debate.

For her, the work done around the 2023/24 constitutional review shows how sustained research and proposals can keep reform conversations alive.

Sophia Akuffo made it clear that think tanks have a responsibility to interrogate long-standing systems and question whether they still serve the public interest.

By focusing on issues “falling between the cracks,” she argued, policy institutions can help prevent complacency in governance. Long-standing practices, she implied, must not escape review simply because they have become routine.