'Why I dey use my brother private jet' - President John Mahama

Ghana President John Mahama don cause controversy as e shun di kontri presidential jet for oda means to travel abroad.

Dis na afta im use im brother im private jet to fly to Gambia and Senegal on 17 January to tank dia presidents say dem attend im inauguration for Accra on 7 January.

Many pipo bin dey wonder how safe dis arrangement be for di kontri president and how much dis private jet wey belong to Ibrahim Mahama don dey cost.

Some sabi pipo already bin dey raise "conflict of interest" for dis mata.

"How di president dey fly on top im broda im private jet wia dem don brand am wit di pesin im business name?", one sabi pesin wey be lecturer for di university of media arts and communication (UniMAC) ask.

Im add say "dis don dey raise question about governance ethics and security - how safe dis private jet be, wia dem customize am for high profile pesin like di president of di kontri.?"

Oda pipo don also begin to ask question say na di president broda carry im jet give di state for free as gift or wetin?

In fact, sabi pesin for one think tank IMANI Africa bin tok say make goment explain wetin di arrangement be.

Oga Franklin Cudjoe tok say, "goment need to explain to di pipo if di cost of President Mahama im recent travel to Gambia and Senegal na gift and if dem don declare am so for public."

Goment explain why President Mahama use im broda private jet

Even bifor John Mahama win di 7 December elections, im dey use im broda im jet for local and foreign travels.

In fact, afta im win di elections, di president use di jet to travel to oda African kontris to invite dia presidents to attend im inauguration for Accra.

But tok tok pesin for di president oga Felix Kwakye Ofosu wey also be minister of state for goment communications tok say "di president since im win di election bin ask for report on di state of di presidential jet, di squadron unit wey dey in charge of di presidential aircrafts and oda tins for di air force, but dat report neva reach di presidency yet."

Oga Ofosu Kwakye add say, "as we don dey wait to collect dat report wey go tok di state of di aircraft and weda we fit use am or not, di president don dey travel di same way im dey travel as im dey opposition - wey be to use im broda im private jet."

Di most important tin na say, dis alternative arrangement no cost di taxpayer a dime, wey bi good tin sake of di president decide say im no go rent expensive jets for dis trips, like wetin di ex president bin dey do, at di time di kontri dey suffer economic crisis."

Im add say, "di president dey committed to use di presidential jet as soon as di squadron for di air force confam say di aircrafts dey good condition wey e dey safe to use."

Inside parliament on Wednesday 22 January, former defense minister Dominic Nitiwul for one debate tok say di president don rent private jet for im recent trip to United Arab Emirates, instead of di presidential aircraft.

Dis cause kasala for di house of legislature as di goment lawmakers tok say na lie.

Finance minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson tok say im dey on dat trip wit di president to di UAE, wia dem use commercial flight.

"I bin travel wit di president on dat trip - we no use private jet, na emirates we use," di finance minister explain for di house of legislature. I challenge di former defence minister say make im carry evidence come."

Even though di goment explain say as President Mahama bin use im broda im private jet, e no cost di kontri any moni, some sabi pipo say tins still neva clear.

Political researcher and sabi pesin Mussah Dankwah bin tok say make goment consider dis tin from di ethics angle.

"We get to check di ethical aspect as di president bin use im broda im private jet. We get to check am well well."

Oga Damkwah add say, "I go suggest say make di president set up 'office for ethics' for di presidency wey go dey advise di president on dis kain tins for im goment.

Make im no wait until pesin go carry dis kind mata go di human rights commission. Dis 'ethics office' go support di enforcement of di code of ethics wey di president already wan introduce for im ministers and oda appointees."

Wetin happun to di presidential jet?

For 2021, one lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa bin raise question for parliament say President Akufo-Addo don dey spend ogbonge taxpayers moni to rent luxury jets for im travels.

Di lawmaker tok say di goment dey rent some of di jets for £14,000 per hour for di trips outside Ghana.

Na so im tok parliament say di rent dey cost di kontri plenti moni.

But di defence minister at di time, Dominic Nitiwul bin tok parliament say di president don dey rent di jet sake of di presidential aircraft no fit carry more pipo and e no fit travel long journey.

"If di president dey travel wit 20 pipo like im dey do for business trips wey bring plenti moni to di kontri, im no fit to use di presidential aircraft.

Also, di presidential aircraft go stop plenti times for long journey bifor e go reach di destination, wey no be advisable."

Di minister also tok say, "in fact, di president get to go a day ahead sake of no president fit shower inside di current presidential aircraft. Im no fit move straight from dis aircraft into a meeting."

In fact, according to oga Nitiwul wey don comot di defense ministry since di change of goment, di presidential aircraft for 2021 also develop fault.

"We carry di aircraft go France for March 2023 for maintenance wey dem carry come back for March 2024. Since dem carry am come, e don dey work wia former President Nana Akufo-Addo bin use for im last round of trips bifor im comot power," im tell local network Joynews.

Oga Dominic say "as far as I dey concerned now, di presidential jet dey okay to use, so make President Mahama use am."

But goment say dem still go wait for di official detailed report from di air force about di aircraft, di oda equipment and tins for di squadron base wey dey in charge of di aircrafts, bifor dem go decide if dem go use am.

One of di goment party lawmakers wey be retired police officer Peter Toobu tok say dem "get to do proper audit of di aircrafts, di pipo wey go fly am and manage di jets, and oda tins to ensure say nothing go compromise di safety and security of di president, bifor dem go begin to use am."

For 2021, goment bin hint say dem go buy anoda aircraft wey big pass di current one (falcon 900 EX).

Di jet na 14-seater wit small cargo space wey no fit carry plenty suitcases.

Sabi pipo say apart from di fact say im no get plenty legroom, im no get privacy for di president wey e no get workstation.

But lawmakers and oda pipo bin shoot down di decision to buy anoda aircraft sake of di kontri economy no good.