Former UT Bank founder, Captain (Rtd) Prince Kofi Amoabeng, says Ghana’s survival as a credible economy depends on the strength and independence of its institutions, particularly the judiciary.

According to him, no leader, reform agenda, or economic policy can succeed if the courts are weak or mistrusted.

“I always think that whether we succeed or not depends on the kind of judiciary that we create,” he said.

Speaking on Joy News’ AM Show recently, Prince Amoabeng described the judiciary as Ghana’s “last hope,” warning that without it, businesses will fail and investors will stay away.

“Without that, things won’t happen. Businesses won’t succeed. People won’t come and invest because if you have a small issue, you can’t resolve it,” he stated.

His comments come amid the controversy over the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, amid complaints of institutional strain and concerns over governance and accountability.

Touching on leadership, Prince Amoabeng said he believes President Mahama means well and possesses humane qualities needed to lead.

“I would say without any doubt that he’s quite humane and has feelings for people. He has humility,” he said.

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He added that the President’s leadership style is grounded in respect for people and openness.

“He’s easygoing. You see how he relates to people with no hard feelings. It’s about respecting everybody,” Amoabeng noted.

Despite acknowledging progress in key economic indicators under President Mahama, Prince Amoabeng said Ghanaians remain cautious because of past experiences.

“Even though they are achieving results, which is quite obvious, if you look at inflation, cedi to dollar rate, and all sorts of indicators, they [government] are doing well,” he said.

However, he warned that years of economic pain under the previous administration have made optimism fragile.

“We’ve been through a lot of bad times. We want to be optimistic, but we are very cautious about it,” he added.

Prince Amoabeng stressed that goodwill and results alone are not enough to secure Ghana’s future.

He said rebuilding and strengthening institutions must be the central focus of governance.

“The aspect that I think Mahama will have to pay attention to is building back the institutions and making them powerful and strong,” he stated.

He acknowledged past tensions between the President and the judiciary, but cautioned against weakening institutional independence.

“Unfortunately, he has had issues with the judiciary and a few other places, and it’s because he wants things done in a certain way,” Amoabeng said.

Still, he insisted that trust in the courts must never be compromised.

“No matter what we do or any leader does, we should get a judiciary that we have faith in, and we respect so they are up and doing,” he stressed.

For Amoabeng, everything comes back to that single institution.

“That’s like the last hope,” he warned.