Nothing wrong with President Mahama using brother’s jet - Joe Jackson

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, says there is nothing inherently wrong with President John Mahama using a private jet owned by his brother for official travel, but stressed that the arrangement must be transparent.

Jackson said private resources can sometimes be used for convenience, but such decisions must be clearly documented and communicated to the public to avoid concerns about conflicts of interest.

“If I am a CEO of Dalex, it doesn’t mean my brother cannot provide certain services, but that decision cannot be taken by me. It should be thoroughly transparent. The president’s brother can undertake certain services, but the appearance of a conflict of interest is avoided by being transparent. By declaring: this is the value, this is how it costs to run the jet, this is the services provided,” he explained on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

There is ongoing debate about President Mahama using a private jet owned by his brother and businessman Ibrahim Mahama for official international travel.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Abdul Kabiru Tiah Mahama, has accused the President of breaching the Code of Conduct for government appointees by repeatedly using the privately owned aircraft for official trips.

Also, the MP for Assin South, John Ntim Fordjour, criticised the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing the party of double standards over presidential travel arrangements.

Rev Fordjour argued that the NDC had strongly criticised the travel arrangements of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while in opposition but has adopted similar practices after coming into power.

He maintained that the president should ensure the state’s presidential jet remains functional and available for official travel, as the NDC had previously demanded during the Akufo-Addo administration.