Oppong Nkrumah: Ghana Needs Hospitals and Jobs, Not Two New Presidential Jets
Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, says the government must not prioritise the purchase of two new presidential aircraft at a time when the country is still battling deep economic and social challenges.
The Ofoase-Ayeribi MP argued that Ghana has only begun a fragile recovery from a difficult economic period, and resources should be directed toward improving basic public services. He pointed to poor healthcare delivery, rising unemployment and major infrastructure deficits as urgent areas that require government attention.
According to him, directing scarce state funds to enhance presidential travel comforts while hospitals remain overstretched, job opportunities remain limited, and vital projects remain incomplete sends the wrong signal to struggling citizens.
Oppong Nkrumah noted that conversations around presidential travel have historically been politicised. He recalled that both former presidents John Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo rented aircraft when the presidential jet faced mechanical issues, and that his side did not weaponise Mahama’s use of rented planes. He said it was ironic that those who fiercely opposed discussions about replacing the aging aircraft in the past are now advocating for the purchase of two new ones, despite persistent fiscal constraints.
He warned that such contradictions expose what he described as the government’s “propaganda” and do little to advance the national interest. The MP urged political leaders to move away from partisan point-scoring and instead build consensus around policies that will deliver long-term benefits to Ghanaians.
Oppong Nkrumah stressed that attention should be placed on real structural problems healthcare system gaps, youth unemployment, and stalled infrastructure rather than debates that do not improve everyday lives.
