Franklin Cudjoe, the President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, has issued a stern critique of President John Dramani Mahama, accusing the presidency of sending “conflicting signals” regarding the government’s commitment to economic prudence.
In a pointed social media address, the IMANI boss questioned the President’s decision to travel via a private aircraft belonging to his brother, businessman Ibrahim Mahama, while simultaneously demanding travel restrictions and “economic justification” from his own appointees.
The controversy stems from reports that the President has, for the second time, utilized a private jet linked to his brother for official or high-profile travel.
Mr. Cudjoe argued that this practice undermines the President’s authority when enforcing fiscal discipline across the wider government.
”You cannot be asking your appointees not to travel without providing economic justification and then you jump on your brother’s plane without providing us reasons why you think it is the only safe, available and cheaper airline,” Cudjoe stated.
The IMANI leader emphasized that without a transparent breakdown of the costs and availability of alternative flights, the move appears to contradict the public code of conduct expected of the highest office in the land.
Perhaps the most biting part of the critique was the warning regarding the President’s public image.
Mr. Cudjoe suggested that these actions risk reviving the infamous “Dead Goat” syndrome a term used during the President’s previous term to describe an apparent indifference to public criticism or economic concerns.
Cudjoe noted that the “dead goat” label was something the Ghanaian electorate had previously “rejected,” and warned that repeating these patterns could alienate the public once again.
The think tank boss urged the Presidency to provide clear reasons if a private jet is indeed the most “safe, available, and cheaper” option, rather than leaving the public to speculate.
This latest critique adds to the ongoing national conversation regarding the cost of presidential travel and the optics of using family-linked assets for state business.
As the government continues to urge citizens and appointees to exercise restraint during challenging economic times, analysts suggest that the “signaling” from the top will be under heavy scrutiny.
Mr. Cudjoe’s final plea to the President was simple: “Please stop.”
By 1960news.com
