The Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has announced that Ghana’s presidential jet remains out of service in France due to heavy corrosion and other serious technical faults.
He, however, indicated that efforts are currently underway to restore it to flying condition.
“It is sad to note that for some time now, whenever the president’s jet goes for either maintenance or overhaul, and in this case, as we speak, the aircraft is still not in.
“We have been given a date, but I don’t want to put that date out because I’ve given too many dates which did not materialize,” he explained during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, July 21.
Dr. Omane Boamah, further expressing uncertainty about the state of the jet, added, “We are hoping that the date that has been given will see the Falcon in Ghana.”
“The truth is that the presidential jet is heavily corroded… and this is not the Air Force itself saying it; these are third independent parties putting out this when it was sent away. You heard the various multiple corrosion that I listed,” the minister continued.
He emphasized that despite the extent of the damage, the current condition of the jet does not justify the repeated hiring of expensive luxury aircraft for presidential travel.
“That does not in away justify hiring or renting luxurious aircraft, persistently, no way. So be assured that hopefully when we are considering the air assets on the Air Force, the Ghana Navy, Ghana Army, all these things will be considered and the right decision is taken.”
