Kofi Bentil, lawyer and Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, has condemned President John Dramani Mahama’s use of a private aircraft owned by his brother, businessman Ibrahim Mahama, for official international travel.
He spoke on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, March 14.
Bentil described the arrangement as “very wrong” and raised concerns about the ethical and security implications of such a practice.
He noted that official state travel is not merely about comfort, but about upholding the dignity of the presidency and the nation.
“It affects the morale of the people when their leader uses a privately-owned jet rather than one provided and maintained by the state,” he said.
He also highlighted potential security risks, arguing that using a privately-owned aircraft could expose the president to vulnerabilities such as sabotage or espionage.
“If the president travels on his brother’s jet, and it is not serviced or operated under state supervision, there is a risk that a listening device could be planted, putting the security of the state at risk,” Bentil warned.
While acknowledging that cost-saving could be cited as a justification, Bentil dismissed this reasoning as inadequate.
He suggested that, if state jets are unavailable, the government should charter a suitable aircraft rather than rely on a private one.
“Saving money cannot come at the expense of state security and propriety. This practice is unacceptable and should not continue,” he concluded.
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