Debate over the state of Ghana’s presidential jet has resurfaced in recent years, following frequent repairs and maintenance delays that have occasionally forced government delegations to charter private aircraft for international engagements.

Providing an update, Deputy Minister for Defence Ernest Brogya Genfi revealed on Thursday, November 6, 2025, that the Falcon 900 Executive Jet—the official presidential aircraft—is currently undergoing final testing in France after an extended maintenance process.

He explained that the jet was sent to Dassault Falcon Service in Le Bourget, France, on March 11, 2025, for a mandatory 24-month and 1,600-flying-hour periodic inspection, a standard procedure to ensure compliance with international airworthiness and safety regulations.

Reacting to the update on Facebook on Friday, November 7, 2025, Mr. Toobu, a former police officer and security analyst, argued that the persistent repairs and high maintenance costs highlight the need for a modern replacement.

“Hon Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the dollar respects you, so buying a new presidential jet should be on the front burner. Blend safety and security with economics,” he wrote.

Mr. Toobu’s remarks contribute to the ongoing national conversation on whether Ghana should continue maintaining the ageing Falcon 900—acquired in 2010—or invest in a newer, more efficient aircraft that meets modern safety and operational standards.

He emphasized that decisions regarding the presidential jet should not be politicized but guided by considerations of national safety, cost efficiency, and reliability.

This follows the Minority in Parliament’s allegation of a clandestine and illegal recruitment into the security services by the government ahead of the December elections.

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, alleged during a news conference that all New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates have been allocated 30 slots each to select NPP loyalists and supporters to fill positions within the security services, including the police and army.

Dr. Forson urged President Akufo-Addo and the government to halt what he described as undemocratic behaviour.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM show on Tuesday, Mr Toobu stated that “Today, we have gotten to the point where exams do not even matter. People have not even applied to join any security services. You live on your groundnut farm, your cocoa farm, and your uncle calls you to bring your certificate, and he writes your name.

“They have given your uncle three slots to bring names, and gradually we are heading towards disaster because you are not building a national force; you are building a partisan force that would gradually come to do partisan policing, and finally it would affect our democracy negatively.”.

Mr. Toobu acknowledged the existence of a standard operating procedure for recruitment but emphasised the need for better implementation.

He explained that the committee first conducts an assessment to determine the required number of security personnel for the country.

“How many police officers do we need for this country? We probably need about sixty thousand police officers. How many do we have now? What is the gap? Okay? And you ask yourself, how many can we recruit this year? That question can only be answered by the ability to pay. You go to the Ministry of Finance, and the Finance Minister says, ‘This year I think we can only allow to take 2,000 because we do not have enough funding.

“Then you come back and say the Finance Minister has given you clearance for 2,000, then you come and say, let us put an ad out there. These are specifications; we need some doctors; we need some specialists,” he noted.

Mr Toobu, emphasised the importance of recruiting skilled individuals from various sectors to enhance the overall capabilities of Ghana’s security forces.

He highlighted the need for professionals such as computer engineers and doctors to join the ranks, arguing that their expertise would greatly benefit the nation’s security apparatus.

“After that advertisement, people apply across the country; it does not matter where you are from as long as you are a Ghanaian. You are qualified, and if you qualify, you are screened. If you are recruited, that is fair, but we do not have an advertisement.

“My brother and sister sitting in the village with all their senior high school certificates and all their degrees have not seen any advertisements, only to realize that a brother or sister they completed together is already on his way to training, and you ask the question, how did you get it? Oh, it is my uncle we called to submit my name.

“That is unGhanaian. It is uncharacteristic of what we are as Ghanaians. We do not do that in a democracy where we are to be preaching accountability and transparency”.

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According to him, if the operation was planned and intelligence-led, the officers would have anticipated some form of danger and had backup.

“Another question I asked myself was what intelligence led them to undertake that operation. If it was intelligence-led, you analyze the dangers surrounding what you’re going to do,” he said on Accra-based Neat FM.

Mr. Toobu also a former police officer advised security personnel not to risk their lives if they do not have the intelligence to defeat attackers. 

He demanded that a thorough investigations is conducted to unveil the truth.

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His comments come on the back of a viral video in which some police officers attached to the Axim District Police in the Western Region were being humiliated by suspected illegal miners, commonly known as “galamseyers.”

The ‘galamseyers’ who claimed the policemen who extort monies from them were preventing them from arresting their ring leader.

When the video went viral, the police acted fast leading to the arrest of four people with a manhunt launched for one Kwame Ato Anu said to be the prime suspect.

But Kwame in an interview from his hideout has said he is an informant for the police and not a robber as claimed.

He said he will only turn himself in if the police put out the right facts.

Retired police officer and Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has suggested the Policeman who left his rifle in trotro must undergo a mental examination.

This, according to him, is because it is rare for a Policeman to leave his rifle which is part of the Service accoutrements [uniform].

In view of this, he noted the only time a Policeman leaves his rifle or it is taken away from him is when dead.

“The rifle is with you at all times because one bullet can even kill about three people. The person who invented the AK47 rifle even in death had some regrets over the devastation it may cause.

“There is a new one; scissors which is more dangerous than the AK47 and that is what he left in the trotro. The interdiction is good and the immediate action in every action of indiscipline but I will plead with the IGP to conduct a mental examination because for a police inspector to leave his rifle in trotro it is strange,” he said in an interview on Accra-based Okay FM.

The Policeman, Inspector Sulemana Adam, is said to have left his rifle in a commercial vehicle after he allegedly took a GH¢100 bribe from a driver he arrested for illegal parking.

He, however, left his rifle in the vehicle after taking the money which has been returned to the Police Service.

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The Inspector, who was stationed with the Rapid Deployment Force in Takoradi, has since been interdicted with investigations underway.

Audio attached above: