Be grateful to Ibrahim Mahama for his private jet gesture – Elvis Darko

The editor of Newscenta Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate surrounding President John Dramani Mahama’s use of his brother’s private jet for official travels.

Speaking on Channel One in a discussion sighted by GhanaWeb on March 19, 2026, Elvis Darko stated that Ghanaians should be grateful to Ibrahim Mahama for making his private jet available for government use.

According to him, Ibrahim Mahama’s decision to allow the president to use his private jet for state travels is saving Ghana a significant amount of money.

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“We should be grateful to Ibrahim Mahama for agreeing to let his brother use his private plane. Considering the amount Akufo-Addo was paying for aircraft rentals, if we are no longer paying those costs and are only covering fuel, then we are clearly saving Ghana money.

“Instead of showing appreciation, we are rather attacking him simply because the NDC once criticised the NPP. That shouldn’t mean we must do the same just because his brother provided the jet,” he said.

Elvis Darko, however, also expressed concerns about the president’s use of a private jet instead of the state aircraft.

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“When the president started using the private jet, I was not entirely comfortable—not because of the cost, but due to security concerns. Do we know what kind of recording devices could be installed in the aircraft?

“If someone wanted sensitive information about Ghana, they could easily plant surveillance devices on the plane. During flights, the president and his team may discuss state matters, and such information could be intercepted. That said, we should still be thanking Ibrahim Mahama because, at the very least, we are saving money,” he added.

JHM/BAI

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