Former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has criticized former President John Mahama for sidelining the state-owned presidential jet in favor of his brother's private aircraft for official duties. The Bimbilla MP argues that the decision disregards the readiness and functionality of the presidential jet, which has undergone extensive maintenance.

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Speaking on Joy News' PM Express on Wednesday, January 22, Nitiwul described the move as "wrong" and questioned the reasoning behind neglecting the jet, which he says is in excellent condition."I'm saying that there's a lack of sincerity," he remarked, highlighting the inconsistent stance on the jet’s use.He further elaborated, stating, "The presidential jet is in good order.

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In fact, former President Nana Akufo-Addo used this presidential jet either on the 22nd or 23rd of December to Takoradi because we had to go to Nzulezu to commission a Naval base, and he used this jet. I was there. It was the same jet he used on 29th December to Kumasi."Detailing the jet’s maintenance history, Nitiwul noted that substantial repair work was completed in 2023 to address operational challenges.

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"We were expecting it in March 2023, but it didn’t come because of the amount of work needed. We were expecting it in February, but again it didn’t arrive due to fuel-related issues that previously caused an emergency landing in the U.S. Eventually, it was sent to France in the middle of 2023 for further maintenance, and it returned in March," he explained.

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Despite these efforts to ensure the jet's readiness, Nitiwul expressed frustration over its exclusion from presidential travel arrangements."My concern is that it's in good shape. Why are they not using it? The president, very recently, went to Bawku and then to Nalerigu using military facilities. He used the MI17.

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So why, on one hand, do you say that you have not received the report you asked for from the Ghana Air Force, yet you use military aircraft to travel, but the jet you will not use?"The former Defence Minister described the decision to avoid the presidential jet as puzzling, adding, "That's their choice, but as I said, I'm not going to politicize the issue of the president’s travels because, trust me, I still hold the same views that it is wrong

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for us to have a presidential jet in good condition and the President will not use it."Nitiwul underscored the importance of optimizing state resources, stressing that previous administrations relied on the jet when it was operational."We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to use what they have provided. This jet has been maintained and is ready for use," he concluded.

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