President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, to attend a high-level African Union (AU) meeting on institutional reforms.
The retreat, hosted by Kenya’s President William Ruto from January 27-28, will focus on reforms aimed at enhancing the AU’s efficiency, including sustainable financing and the restructuring of its operations.
President Mahama, who will share his leadership experience and discuss Ghana’s role in advancing the AU’s agenda, opted to use Ghana’s presidential jet for this trip, a departure from his previous travels where he was seen using his brother’s private jet. His use of the private jet had previously raised concerns among Ghanaians, particularly regarding the cost and appropriateness of such travel arrangements.
Felix Ofosu Kwakye, the acting spokeswoman for the president, addressed these concerns, explaining that the decision to use the private jet had been made due to the ongoing assessment of the presidential jet’s condition. “Since President Mahama became president, he has requested a detailed report on the state of the communications squadron,” Ofosu Kwakye explained. The Communications Squadron, which handles the presidential aircraft, has not yet provided the requested report, and therefore, the president continued his travel in the same manner as when he was in opposition.
However, the explanation was met with some pushback. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, countered the claim, asserting that reports from the transition team indicated that the presidential jet was indeed serviceable and available for use. This debate over the use of the private jet continues to fuel discussions surrounding the transparency and accountability of government travel arrangements.
As President Mahama focuses on the AU reform talks in Nairobi, the controversy surrounding his travel continues to be a topic of public discussion in Ghana.