The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government reportedly sent a delegation of 12 officers to examine what may have been pre-ordered Airbus luxury aircraft even before parliamentary clearance.
According to government insiders, the deal, which named Airbus as the chosen manufacturer for the unnamed luxury presidential and military jets, was finalized before the budget was ever presented to Parliament.
The highly concerning idea that the current parliamentary debate on the transaction is largely a formality, as sources within the presidency have revealed that the aircraft have already been ordered, has essentially eclipsed the argument over the purchase’s transparency.
An Airbus scandal concerning the former NDC administration’s aircraft acquisition, during which now-President John Dramani Mahama served as Vice President, remains a worrying story in the minds of anti-corruption campaigners.
The current Mahama administration has characterized the procurement as the retooling of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for the next four years, in a transaction of GH¢13 billion (roughly $1.2 billion).
On November 13, 2025, the Minister of Finance, Dr Casiel Ato Forson, presented the government’s 2026 budget statement and economic policy to Parliament. He officially asked parliamentary clearance to begin procurement for a total of six new aircraft for GAF commencing in 2026.
He described the fleet as consisting of four contemporary helicopters, one medium-range aircraft (a tiny presidential jet), and one long-range aircraft (a large, opulent presidential jet).
This sparked a significant political uproar that nearly resulted in the expensive and ambitious effort to retool the GAF aircraft fleet.
The planned acquisition was deemed exorbitant by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament, especially since the NDC, while in opposition, opposed a similar move by the previous government as being expensive for the state.
The Minority, lead by Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said that the GH¢13 billion (about $1.2 billion) cash allotted for the GAF retooling over four years was a “smokescreen.”
Members of the minority, such as Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, former Minister of Defense Dominic Nitiwul, and Ranking Member Samuel A. Jinapor of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, claimed that the high expense was being used to conceal the purchase of two new luxury presidential jets, concealed within the one long-range and one medium-range aircraft designated for the Air Force.
Members of the NDC Majority disagreed over the amount until they were shown pages of their own budget with different amounts allotted for the agreement through 2028. This led to a contentious debate.
It is now known that the aircraft have already been ordered, thus circumventing the legislative procedure, even though the government formally requests parliamentary approval to begin procurement.
This action, according to proponents of democratic accountability, shows disrespect for the parliamentary processes and turns the ongoing purchase budget debate into a meaningless “precursor” for a deal that has already been sealed.
A glaring political discrepancy is brought to light by the protracted debate surrounding the purchase of the aircraft.
Due to the exorbitant expense of the President’s pricey chartered flights, the former NPP government was under heavy scrutiny for its plans to replace the outdated fleet of presidential jets.
A similar request by the NPP government was fiercely rejected at the time by the opposition NDC, who characterized it as excessive spending and a lack of budgetary prudence.
Now in power, the same party is promoting an enormous expenditure plan while ostensibly requesting legislative clearance for the aircraft and disregarding the transparency it previously supported.
Allegations of a significant double standard and a purposeful attempt to evade democratic scrutiny have been raised as a result.
As Parliament decides on the 2026 budget, the next few days will be crucial.
Many are questioning if the parliamentary process can actually stop a deal that may already be in motion, despite the Minority NPP’s demands for complete disclosure and transparency and the allegation that a pre-existing order is now in the public domain.
This is especially concerning because the NDC has a sizable majority in Parliament and may ratify any agreement, regardless of how expensive it is for Ghanaians.
Source: newsthemegh.com