Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has highlighted the significant savings Ghana is making as President John Dramani Mahama opts to travel on commercial flights for his international engagements.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, September 17, Mr. Ablakwa stressed that the President’s decision was not just a matter of convenience but a deliberate effort to protect the public purse.
“Flying commercial is a far more economical choice compared to private charters. If you consider what former President Akufo-Addo was spending per hour on charters, it does not come close. This is about prudence and protecting national resources,” the Minister explained.
President Mahama, currently on a two-nation working visit to Japan and Singapore, chose commercial flights while Ghana’s presidential jet undergoes servicing in France. According to Mr. Ablakwa, the President was comfortable with the arrangement and saw nothing unusual about it.
He further pointed out that Ghanaian leaders before Mahama had also resorted to commercial flights in similar situations, adding that the move reinforces Mahama’s image as a leader committed to financial discipline.
“This should set the tone for a new conversation around cost-effective governance,” Ablakwa noted.
