The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, says he would be surprised if Ghanaians believe that President John Mahama's travelling on a private jet owned by his brother does not impose any cost on the country.

Speaking on Top Story on Joy FM on Thursday, March 12, the legislator questioned the continued use of a private aircraft belonging to businessman Ibrahim Mahama for the President’s international travels.

According to him, the matter has become a public debate partly because members of the current administration previously criticised the travel arrangements of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo when they were in opposition.

“This wouldn’t have been a problem or a topical issue if our brothers had not made presidential travel a political weapon,” he said.

“They made political capital out of the foreign trips of the former president, and today they are running away from their own shadows.”

His remarks come after the Member of Parliament for Walewale, Abdul Kabiru Tiah Mahama, accused President Mahama of breaching the Code of Conduct for government appointees by repeatedly using his brother’s private jet for official international travel.

According to him, the arrangement raises serious ethical concerns and creates what he described as a “palpable conflict of interest.”

• Read also: President Mahama’s use of brother’s private jet breaches his own code of conduct – Walewale MP

On the back of this, Mr Asafo-Adjei questioned why the President would rely on his brother’s aircraft for official trips, arguing that the same standards previously demanded of the former administration should apply today.

“The flight you were asking Akufo-Addo to fly in, you cannot allow President Mahama to fly in today. Why? Because President Mahama is more important than Akufo-Addo?” he asked.

He also dismissed suggestions that the arrangement does not cost the state.

“If somebody tells me that the president is flying in his brother’s private jet and we are not incurring any cost, it’s a big lie,” he said.

“Is there anything like a free meal? There is nothing like that.”

Mr Asafo-Adjei further cited the government’s own code of conduct for public officials, which cautions against accepting gifts.

“When you look at the code of ethics the president himself launched for his appointees, he told them not to take gifts. Is this not a gift from his brother?” he asked.

He added that if ministers or other government officials were to accept benefits from relatives, it would raise serious questions, and the same principle should apply to the President.

The lawmaker disclosed that the Minority in Parliament has formally filed a question demanding details about the President’s travel arrangements since assuming office.

“We've, in fact, catalogued all the trips and flights President Mahama has done ever since he became president. You know, when he's travelling, he has to write to Parliament and inform Parliament. So, we've catalogued all of them,” he said.

“We are asking the Foreign Affairs Minister to come and tell us how he travelled, the cost involved, and how the travel arrangement was made. Then from there, we can now put the information and the responses together and make our deductions from them."

He maintained that it would be difficult to convince Ghanaians that the arrangement comes at no cost to the state.

“I will be extremely surprised that a Ghanaian will be thinking that President Mahama is travelling in his brother's flight, and it comes at no cost to Ghana. I will be surprised,” he said.