A potential crisis looms before President-elect John Dramani Mahama’s upcoming inauguration, set to draw dignitaries from both near and far to the national capital.
Mahama, who has been on a diplomatic tour to neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso, Benin, Kenya, and Nigeria to extend invitations to their heads of states for his inauguration, is facing what appears to be deliberate obstruction from officials back home.
Just days before the essential ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, January 7, the National Security, under the leadership of the National Security Minister Albert KanDapaah, is reportedly causing delays in granting approvals for private jets by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and related agencies.
Allegations have been made that the National Security is deliberately stalling on processing documents forwarded through the Ghana Air Force to authorize the arrival of private jets into the country.
Normally, such requests are responded to within 12 to 24 hours unless there are particular issues. However, recently, sources suggest that requests submitted to the security agencies have been languishing on their desks for over a week and counting.
The typical protocol involves private jet agents first liaising with the Civil Aviation, which oversees all flights to Ghana. Subsequently, these requests are passed to the Ghana Air Force, which in turn contacts the National Security for evaluation and approval.
If the current delays persist, arriving presidents and officials from other countries who plan to attend the inauguration via private jets may encounter significant challenges.
Some have speculated that this situation could be a deliberate move by the outgoing government and the Kan Dapaah-led ministry.
Furthermore, in another related development, State Protocol is facing difficulties in assembling a fleet of state-owned vehicles for the upcoming events.
Reportedly, incumbents from the outgoing Akufo-Addo government have absconded with state vehicles that were designated for such official uses.
This issue has arisen despite a directive issued by the president through the director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, last month after the election loss mandating that no appointee depart with a government vehicle.
The directive required outgoing ministers, deputy ministers, regional ministers, and other political appointees to return the vehicles to the state by January 3, 2025. Nevertheless, it appears that compliance has been lacking.
The incoming administration is now relying on the generosity of affluent members, Members of Parliament (MPs), and private individuals to provide vehicles for the event to prevent dignitaries from being stranded.
This situation also brings to mind the recent woes of McDaan Aviation, which operates private jets and faces over $3 million in debts to the Ghana Airports Company Limited.