The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has shared a personal near-death experience aboard Ghana’s presidential jet, renewing calls for the acquisition of a safer and more reliable aircraft for presidential and state missions.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the MP said the findings of the committee investigating the recent aircraft crash that killed eight military officers reminded him of his own frightening experience over the Congo Basin in October 2023.
“I could not help but reflect on my own near-death experience in October 2023 over the Congo Basin, an encounter that changed my perspective on the urgent need for Ghana to acquire a safer and more reliable presidential jet,” he wrote.
According to him, he was on board the presidential jet on 26 October 2023, accompanying then-Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, on a special mission from President Nana Akufo-Addo to deliver a message to President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo ahead of the Summit of the Three Basins in Brazzaville.
“There were only three civilians onboard — Hon Bryan Acheampong, the Congo’s Consular General to Ghana, Diassouka Jean Pierre, and myself — along with two pilots and three military flight attendants,” he recounted.
As the jet approached the Congo Basin, it encountered extreme turbulence. “It was the worst experience I have ever had in all my years of travelling,” Opoku said. “For the first time in my life, I thought I would not make it home. I could see the aircraft crashing into the unforgiving forest below.”
He recalled that he began typing what he thought might be his final words to his family while the WiFi connection still worked.
The aircraft was later diverted to Pointe Noire due to bad weather, forcing the crew and passengers to spend the night without personal belongings or clothes, as the trip had been planned as a return journey.
Opoku said the ordeal changed his view of political debates over the use of private jets for presidential travel. “This is not about privilege or politics. It is about safety — the safety of everyone onboard, from the Presidency to the military crew to civilians who serve on such missions,” he stated.
He described the current presidential jet as “an ageing aircraft” that faces airframe fatigue and lacks modern safety systems and turbulence detection technology. He warned that parts for older models are increasingly hard to source, leading to maintenance delays.
“The tragic loss of our eight heroes should teach us that politics must never come before human life,” he added. “I pray that President Mahama will authorise the purchase of a new presidential jet, not for comfort or luxury, but to protect the Presidency, the military, and every Ghanaian who serves on such missions.”
Opoku concluded by urging national unity on issues of safety and public service, saying, “Safety must come first, because the cost of inaction can be far greater than any price we may pay for it.”
