The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has escalated its attack on President John Dramani Mahama’s use of his brother’s private jet for official travel, directly tying the arrangement to what it describes as a live conflict of interest over the Damang gold mine, one of Ghana’s most commercially significant mining assets.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Minority Spokesperson on Lands and Natural Resources Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong argued that the president’s use of a jet owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama cannot be separated from the latter’s ongoing bid to acquire a controlling interest in the Damang mine. He cited Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits public officials from placing themselves in situations where personal interests conflict with their official duties.
Ampratwum-Sarpong said the president’s brother was not a private citizen with no connection to the state, describing him as a businessman with significant existing and prospective state contracts actively pursuing Ghana’s most commercially significant gold mine.
The Minority’s intervention came a day after NPP Communications Director Richard Ahiagbah renewed his call for the president to halt the practice entirely. At an earlier press briefing, Ahiagbah warned that the arrangement could allow state resources to benefit the president’s family at the expense of the nation, likening it to a father refereeing a match in which his own son was playing.
The government has pushed back firmly. Minister of State for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the president chose the arrangement as a temporary measure while the government procures a new presidential aircraft, arguing that it saves Ghana approximately $18,000 per hour in charter fees that would otherwise be billed to taxpayers. He stated that the state covers only fuel and landing charges, with maintenance, pilot, and crew costs borne by Ibrahim Mahama.
The controversy has widened since Ibrahim Mahama took delivery of a new Bombardier Global 6500 jet in early March, valued at approximately $70 million. He also announced that he had donated his older Bombardier 604 aircraft to the state for use as an emergency air ambulance.
The debate over the jet sits within a broader NPP critique of what it describes as cronyism under the current administration, with the opposition also raising concerns over mining contracts, employment data, and rising fuel prices since President Mahama took office.
