The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, has said the recent explanation by the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, has not adequately addressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest in the ongoing debate over the use of Ibrahim Mahama’s private jet by President John Dramani Mahama for official travel.

Dr Mahama, in a recent article, explained that the President opted to use his brother’s aircraft for official trips due to logistical considerations. He also indicated that government plans are underway to procure a state aircraft by November 2026 to serve presidential travel needs.

Read the full article: Callistus Mahama: On presidential travel, public trust, and the discipline of the reset

However, speaking on Super Morning Show on Joy FM on Monday, March 16, Mr Braimah argued that the explanation fails to resolve the ethical concerns surrounding the arrangement.

According to him, the matter goes beyond logistical convenience and touches on issues of transparency and possible conflict of interest in public office.

"Well, you see, there's no doubt that the aircraft in question belongs to the president's brother. No one has denied that. And the president's brother, as we know, is a businessman; he does business with the state, and so, yes, people would say, even without the aircraft, why? If Ibrahim Mahama wants a contract at the ministry, given his relationship with a brother, which minister would say no?,"

"But it then increases the whole thing when it is a state. If the president were doing a private trip," he said.

"Maybe he wants to visit his family in Damango and decides that between here and Tamale, I'm on holiday. The first flight on the aircraft that my brother's aircraft is the one that is really used to take me there. Even though there will be issues about you know, because he's the president of the Republic. But in this case, we are talking about state travel on behalf of the state. And then we have to uh the president has to resort to um aircraft owned by the brother," he argued.

"So, next time when something is happening, and oh, the brother has gotten a contract or a deal or whatever, people may begin to say, "Oh well, after all, he also supports the state by offering his aircraft for the president to do jobs for the country." And it even gets worse when we are told that oh it is for free."

He stressed the need for clearer safeguards to ensure accountability in such matters of public interest and also urged the government to procure a befitting presidential jet.