Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa and lawyer, Kofi Bentil, has said loyalty becomes a critical consideration alongside competence when appointing people to high-level positions, including the next Chief Justice of Ghana.

Speaking on Joy News, Bentil said the candidates being considered for the position were all highly competent, but argued that competence alone should not determine who gets the job.

“Above a certain level, competence is important, but loyalty is more important,” he said.

Drawing on his experience in corporate management before becoming a lawyer, Bentil said organisations at senior levels often prioritise candidates who combine adequate competence with strong loyalty.

“The boss will pick somebody with sufficient competence and great loyalty because at a certain level you really don’t want to be checking up,” he said.

He cautioned that highly competent individuals could still be untrustworthy, arguing that competence did not automatically guarantee loyalty.

“There can be people who are very, very competent but devious,” he said.