Just few days after the nation laid to rest eight souls lost in the tragic August 6, 2025 helicopter crash, Ghana’s fragile political calm has erupted once more into partisan firestorms, this time over President John Dramani Mahama’s official trip to Asia and allegations surrounding his mode of travel.
The latest political row began shortly after the President departed Kotoka International Airport for a diplomatic tour of Japan and Singapore. Members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by outspoken MP for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, claimed the President flew aboard a private jet, M-BAEP, at an estimated cost of nearly $700,000.
Mr Assafuah, in a social media post, now widely circulated, broke down the estimated costs per hour and flight routes, accusing the government of financial recklessness at a time when citizens are being urged to embrace austerity.
“This private jet left Accra this morning around 7 a.m. A simple calculation shows the journey already covered amounts to $105,000… The cost comes to an incredible $690,000 without including stopovers,” he said.
However, the government has dismissed the claims as baseless and misleading.
Deputy Chief of Staff, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has taken the lead in defending the presidency with a barrage of fiery posts targeted at Assafuah and other critics.
Mr. Stan Dogbe questioned the MP’s intellect, accusing him of lying “unintelligently” and “disgracing the noble institution of Parliament.”
In a heated rebuttal, Stan Dogbe emphasised that President Mahama departed Accra on a commercial flight, not a chartered private jet, and was “onboard with right-thinking Ghanaians.”
He also pointed to the President’s public appearance at a Thanksgiving mass between 10:30 am and 12:45 pm on Sunday, suggesting the timeline disproves claims that Mahama departed earlier that morning on a private flight.
“Did he take off in the supposed jet at 7:00 am and fly back for the 10:30 am mass?” Stan Dogbe asked mockingly.
“Even if you are not street smart, it doesn’t take that much brain work to avoid embarrassing yourself.”
Civic Voices and Public Confusion
The escalating exchange has prompted concerns about decorum in public discourse and the broader implications for transparency. Civil society figures like Franklin Cudjoe, President of Imani Ghana, called for restraint and verification of facts.
Mr Cudjoe asked whether MP was sure of his claims since the President was live on TV during that period. Lawyer Beatrice Annan, a presidential Staffer, also added levity to the tensions, posting, “I beg you people, nobody should use any lawyer as a point of reference to insult every lawyer,” as she decried the ridicule legal experts have faced amid the debate.
Amid the noise, critics of the NDC government, including the self-described “Mpraeso Mayor” Kwadwo Owusu, are urging state officials to respond to allegations with facts — not insults.
“You don’t respond to allegations with attacks. You respond with transparency,” Kwadwo Owusu wrote.
“Stan Xoese Dogbe must conduct himself in a manner befitting his office.”
Supporters of the President, however, insist that opposition figures are attempting to resurrect a “comatose” campaign by peddling falsehoods, dragging former President Akufo-Addo’s name unnecessarily into the fray.
With the wounds from the helicopter crash still fresh, many hoped the period of mourning might inspire a national reset — a moment of unity. Instead, Ghana finds itself once again mired in a deeply personal political grudge match.
As the President continues his Asia trip – the purpose of which officials say includes trade and diplomatic talks – citizens are left to decipher truth from political theatre.
Whether this latest jet saga is a matter of miscommunication or deliberate misinformation remains to be fully established.
