FROM LOUD OPPOSITION TO QUIET IN POWER: THE NDC’S PRIVATE JET DOUBLE STANDARDS
Ghanaians must confront the truth plainly and without sugarcoating. On the matter of presidential travel and private jets, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has proven one thing beyond doubt: their words collapse the moment they get power.
Between 2021 and 2022, while the NPP was in government, the facts were clear. Ghana’s official presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900EX, had been declared unfit for long-haul travel due to safety and operational concerns. This was publicly stated by the then Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul. Faced with real security and safety risks, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo resorted to chartered aircraft for some international trips. It was not luxury; it was a necessity.
The NDC, led loudly by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, chose politics over truth. Ablakwa attacked the decision aggressively, calling it wasteful and unacceptable. He went further and swore publicly that if an NDC government ever used private jets, he would resign. That statement was not forced out of him. He said it willingly, repeatedly, and confidently. It became his political badge.
Fast forward to 2025. The NDC is back in power. The same realities of presidential and executive travel remain. Senior government officials, including the Vice President, have used chartered and executive aircraft for official trips. On top of that, the NDC-approved national budget contains allocations under security and defence retooling that many MPs and analysts have openly questioned, including possible provisions for VIP or presidential aircraft alongside military air assets.
Now the key question, simple and unavoidable:
Where is Okudzeto Ablakwa’s resignation?
He has not resigned. He has not explained. He has not apologised. He has simply gone silent.
This is not a technical debate. It is about credibility. You cannot condemn an action as immoral in opposition and quietly justify the same action in government. You cannot swear an oath before the public and later pretend it never happened. That is not leadership. That is deception by convenience and a clear sign of no principle.
The NPP’s position, then and now, has been consistent: the safety of the President and the efficiency of the state come first, and decisions must be based on facts, not populist noise. The NDC chose outrage when it suited them and amnesia when power arrived.
Ghanaians should take note. When politicians break loud promises without blinking, they are telling you exactly how much their word is worth. On the private jet issue, the evidence is clear, the timeline is clear, and the silence is louder than any speech.
This is why trust matters. And this is why consistency matters.
By: Mr Blessing Mantey
