Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has defended President John Mahama’s use of a private jet owned by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, for official international travel, describing the arrangement as a temporary measure due to the lack of a reliable state aircraft.
Speaking on Joy FM on March 12, Mr Ofosu Kwakye explained that the President opted to continue using the aircraft he had previously relied on rather than spend public funds on expensive chartered flights while the government works to secure a new presidential jet.
According to him, Ghana currently lacks a dependable aircraft for presidential travel, as the existing jet has been deemed unreliable by the Ghana Air Force due to security concerns and frequent technical faults.
He argued that using the privately owned aircraft helps the state avoid significant costs that would otherwise be incurred through commercial charter arrangements.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye also rejected claims that the arrangement constitutes a conflict of interest or acceptance of a gift, stating that such concerns would only arise if the government had a functional state aircraft that the President deliberately ignored in favour of renting his brother’s jet.
His comments follow criticism from the Member of Parliament for Walewale, Abdul Kabiru Tiah Mahama, who accused the President of breaching the Code of Conduct for public officials by repeatedly using his brother’s aircraft for official trips.
The minister emphasised that the arrangement is not permanent and will remain in place only until the government acquires a more reliable aircraft for presidential travel.