A sharp political exchange on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana has reignited a long-running debate over Ghana’s defence spending priorities, pitting concerns about national security against accusations of misplaced executive luxury.
At the centre of the discussion was the government’s plan to acquire new aircraft, including executive jets, as part of what officials describe as a broader retooling of the Ghana Armed Forces. Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker Sulemana Tampuli Alhassan, the Member of Parliament for Gushegu, insisted the opposition is not against strengthening the military but firmly rejects the justification being offered for executive aircraft.
“It has to be put on record that we on the minority side are not opposed to retooling the Ghana Armed Forces,” Tampuli said. “We have been doing that since 2017, just as every government has done before us.”
According to Tampuli, the controversy is not about fighter jets, helicopters or other military platforms traditionally associated with defence operations, but rather about aircraft he says are primarily meant for executive travel. He argued that such jets cannot reasonably be framed as tools for border security.
“How do you use executive jets to secure your borders?” he asked. “Are they bombs? Do you fix missiles on them? This has nothing to do with the security of our nation. It has to do with luxury.”
Tampuli further questioned why border agencies such as the Immigration Service and Customs were not being prioritised, describing Ghana’s frontiers as porous and in need of urgent investment. He dismissed claims that the proposed jets were essential to national security, accusing the government of misleading the public.
The MP also rejected suggestions that Ghana’s security environment has significantly deteriorated in recent years, citing intelligence cooperation across the subregion that, he said, had already been effectively managing threats. “Did anybody invade our country throughout the eight years?” he asked, referring to the NPP’s time in government. “Did we need executive jets to secure that?”
Beyond security, Tampuli broadened his criticism to economic management, arguing that favourable global conditions, including high gold prices and strong cocoa performance should be delivering tangible relief to citizens. He described a proposed 200 million cedis intervention for poultry farmers as inadequate, calling it “a drop in the ocean” amid widespread hardship in the agricultural sector.
Government Communication Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu pushed back strongly, accusing the minority of shifting positions and misrepresenting the facts. He argued that presidential aircraft are, in practice and law, military assets operated by the Ghana Air Force’s Communication Squadron.
“The presidential jet is the property of the military,” Kwakye Ofosu said. “It is not the property of the president, and it is certainly not about comfort.”
He stressed that the most elite pilots and engineers in the Air Force are assigned to presidential travel and that decisions about aircraft acquisition are made following technical assessments by the military, not political preference. According to him, the Air Force determines the type, capacity and range of aircraft required to meet operational demands.
Kwakye Ofosu also disputed claims about excessive spending, noting that minority figures had previously alleged the government planned to spend $1.2 billion on just a handful of aircraft, an assertion he said was inaccurate. He argued that critics were now downplaying the military’s broader needs after being challenged on the facts.
The minister cited the high cost of chartering aircraft under previous administrations, saying former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at times rented planes at about $18,000 per hour. Extended trips, he said, could cost the state millions of dollars, particularly when aircraft had to remain on standby for days or weeks.
He also recounted the operational history of Ghana’s existing presidential aircraft, including faults that led to repairs in France and assessments that revealed corrosion and frequent breakdowns. These issues, he said, constrained planning and posed risks to effective operations.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, the Air Force has recommended acquiring multiple aircraft with different ranges, including medium and long-range platforms capable of flying 13 to 17 hours nonstop, to provide flexibility and redundancy. He warned that Ghana’s air transport capacity had been stretched dangerously thin, especially after a recent helicopter disaster and ongoing maintenance problems.
“At the moment, the only serviceable aircraft is the CASA,” he said, adding that even that platform had suffered breakdowns. “How can you have something like that?”
The exchange grew tense as both sides talked over each other, underscoring the deep political divisions surrounding defence spending. While the minority insists the government is prioritising executive comfort over frontline security and economic relief, the government maintains that modern, reliable aircraft are a core part of national defence infrastructure.
As Ghana continues to balance security needs, fiscal pressures and public expectations, the debate over executive jets has become a symbol of a broader struggle over trust, priorities and the narrative of governance. For now, neither side appears ready to back down, leaving the issue firmly in the national spotlight.