Former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has expressed strong disapproval over President John Mahama’s decision to use his brother’s private jet for official duties instead of the state-owned presidential jet.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, January 22, he described the move as “wrong” and questioned the rationale behind abandoning a fully functional presidential jet.
The debate surrounding the use of the presidential jet continues to stir controversy in Parliament, with Nitiwul’s comments adding weight to the ongoing discussions on government expenditure and resource management.
“I’m saying that there’s a lack of sincerity,” The Bimbilla MP stated. “The presidential jet is in good order. In fact, former President Nana Akufo-Addo used this presidential jet either on the 22nd or 23rd of December to Takoradi because we had to go to Nzulezu to commission a Naval base, and he used this jet. I was there. It was the same jet he used on 29th December to Kumasi,” he said.
He elaborated that the jet had undergone significant maintenance in 2023, addressing various operational issues.
“We were expecting it in March 2023, but it didn’t come because of the amount of work needed. We were expecting it in February, but again it didn’t arrive due to fuel-related issues that previously caused an emergency landing in the U.S. Eventually, it was sent to France in the middle of 2023 for further maintenance, and it returned in March,” he explained.
Dominic Nitiwul expressed concern that despite the jet being fully operational, President Mahama opted for alternative means of travel.
Source: Joy News