Timing is wrong; Ghana doesn't need a new presidential jet – Economist tells Defence Minister

According to him, the timing is not right for the government to purchase a new private jet.

His reactions come after the Defence Minister disclosed that Ghana needs of a new presidential jet.

He said the current one being used by the presidency is not fit for purpose and outmoded.

Speaking on the floor or parliament to justify President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s hiring of private jet for his recent foreign travels.

Dr Lord Mensah Pulse Ghana

"The capacity of the current Falcon aircraft is far below that of Fokker 28 which flew very, very important persons of more than 25 passengers during the Acheampong, Akufo, Rawlings and Kufuor eras hence the urgent need for an appropriate aircraft which can carry better payload in terms of passengers of 70 to 100 people and to carry all their baggage without affecting the performance of the aircraft.

"Mr Speaker, it is interesting to note that the Armed Forces of Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Uganda, Kenya, Congo (DR), Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, just to mention but a few, all have a Boeing or Airbus Jet of that capacity to serve as strategic Air lifts," he said.

But Dr. Mensah rejected the request and said the timing is wrong.

"If you ask me, this is not the right time to buy a presidential jet especially when people are crying for the country to be fixed…if you take the Presidential travels that we’ve done over the years it comes at a cost because of how we’ve decorated our presidents. We are not getting value for money on the presidential travels especially when you look at the number of people the president travels with," he said on Accra-based Starr FM.