Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is facing mounting pressure and accusations of double standards following revelations that Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang recently returned to Ghana aboard a private jet — a practice Ablakwa had previously condemned in no uncertain terms.
In the past, while serving in opposition, Ablakwa was an outspoken critic of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s frequent use of private jets for international travel, describing it as wasteful and a betrayal of the public trust. He consistently argued for the protection of the public purse and once vowed to resign from any government that adopted similar habits.
“I will resign if the government I am a part of starts using a private jet,” Ablakwa had declared in a 2021 interview on Adom FM. “It’s a matter of principle, not personality.”
However, the tables have turned, and political opponents are now calling for him to honour his word after reports emerged that the current administration, including the Vice President and President, has resorted to private chartered flights due to the unavailability of the official presidential jet.
Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah offered a justification, revealing that the presidential aircraft has been grounded for extensive repairs and refurbishment. According to him, the plane’s fuel tank is corroded, rendering it unsafe and unfit for use for at least the next three months.
But that explanation hasn’t quelled the criticism. Members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have seized on the controversy, pointing to Ablakwa’s vocal campaign against private jet usage during the previous administration and urging him to step down to preserve his credibility.
In the face of the uproar, Ablakwa has continued to share updates of his diplomatic engagements online, but he has not publicly addressed the calls for his resignation or clarified his current stance on the private jet usage under his government.
The debate raises broader questions about political consistency and accountability, especially when campaign-era principles clash with the realities of governance.
