Franklin Cudjoe questions Mahama’s use of brother’s private jet for official trips

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has called on John Dramani Mahama to publicly explain why he continues to use a private jet owned by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, for official state travel.

The appeal comes amid growing public discussion about the president’s repeated use of the aircraft, which carries the inscription “Dzata,” instead of Ghana’s official presidential jet, the Dassault Falcon 900EX.

President Mahama is currently on a state visit to South Korea, where he was once again seen travelling aboard the privately owned aircraft.

While some observers argue that using the jet may be a practical option if the official presidential aircraft is unavailable, others have raised concerns about issues such as security, transparency and the message it sends to the public.

The debate is unfolding at a time when the government has introduced measures aimed at reducing public expenditure.

Recently, a directive from Jubilee House imposed restrictions on international travel by government appointees and board members of state-owned enterprises.

The directive, issued on March 5 and signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, placed an immediate ban on overseas trips by boards of public institutions for training programmes, conferences, retreats and study tours funded with public resources.

According to the presidency, the move was taken due to concerns about the rising cost of such travel.

Reacting to the situation in a Facebook post on March 12, 2026, Mr Cudjoe questioned why the president had not provided an official explanation for using the private aircraft.

“Mr President, with due respect, you cannot be asking your appointees not to travel without providing economic justification and then you jump on your brother’s plane without providing us reasons why you think it is the only safe, available and cheaper airline,” he wrote.

He also referenced a recent trip in which the president travelled on a commercial flight — an event that was publicly shared by the presidency’s communications team and widely praised by the public.

“You recently flew commercial and your communications team happily shared videos. We all applauded,” Mr Cudjoe noted.

According to him, continuing to use the private jet without a clear explanation risks sending mixed signals about accountability and standards expected of public officials.

“Seriously, this sends conflicting signals about your own fidelity to the public code of conduct for public office,” he added.

Mr Cudjoe further warned that the situation could revive past criticisms directed at the president, saying the issue risks bringing back what he described as the “dead goat syndrome” narrative that had previously been associated with Mahama’s leadership.