A renewed push by the government to acquire new presidential aircraft has ignited strong public reactions, with journalist Peter Ankomah calling out what he describes as political inconsistency and a preventable tragedy.
Speaking on Movement TV, he said the national conversation around presidential jets has been shaped less by principle and more by which party is in power at a given time.
Ankomah recalled the heated opposition that greeted the idea of a new jet when the NPP government, under President Nana Akufo-Addo, proposed it years ago. He quoted then, opposition communicator Sammy Gyamfi’s appearance on Joy FM’s Newsfile on October 2, 2021, where he condemned the proposal as “misplaced priority” and “an insult to our sensibilities.” He also pointed to similar remarks by Haruna Iddrisu, current Minister of Education, who criticised the plan as reckless expenditure that ignored ordinary Ghanaians’ hardship.
According to him, the current administration appears determined to go ahead with acquiring new aircraft, regardless of opposition support. While he believes some upgrades are necessary, he suggested a more modest approach: perhaps one jet and two helicopters, instead of multiple aircraft, given Ghana’s economic situation.
But the heart of his criticism centred on the recent military helicopter crash that claimed lives earlier this year. Ankomah described the deaths as avoidable, stressing that the aircraft was reportedly faulty and should never have been cleared for flight. He questioned why the available report from Accra was considered sufficient, when there was no corresponding report from Kumasi, the destination, before takeoff.
He further expressed concern about the timing of the crash report’s release, noting that it came just two days before the national budget was read. In his view, the release appeared to pave the way for a fresh argument in favour of acquiring new aircraft.
Ankomah argued that Ghana cannot continue losing lives and resources to preventable failures and shifting political positions. For him, the issues of safety, accountability, and honesty must take precedence over political convenience, especially when human lives are involved.
