Founder of the Union Government, Akwasi Addae Odike, has downplayed the public outcry and criticism from members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over President John Mahama’s decision to travel on a private jet owned by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama.
He expressed his belief that there is nothing inappropriate about the Mahama using his brother’s private jet for official travel, especially since the Ghanaian presidential jet is currently undergoing maintenance.
“If President Mahama says we don’t have a presidential jet at the moment, but I will not cause losses to the country; if my brother has one which I can use, then let me use it. Ghanaians, what is your problem?” he questioned on Angel TV, on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Odike urged Ghanaians to focus on more pressing national issues, such as the economy and other significant matters that will improve their standard of living, rather than what he described as misplaced criticism.
He further called out the NPP, asking, “What is wrong if any Ghanaian says he has the money to buy a private jet?”
Odike suggested that the NPP may be using this backlash to imply that Mahama misappropriated state funds to acquire the private jet in his brother’s name.
However, he challenged the NPP that if they possess evidence proving Mahama purchased the private jet in his brother’s name as a cover-up, they should not hesitate to pursue the matter in court.
He bemoaned a common phenomenon in Ghanaian politics, noting that political parties often promise to hold their predecessors accountable for corruption but fail to act once in power. This, he said, amounts to playing with the intelligence of the citizens.
Source: Vanessa Elizabeth Nkum
