Mahama: First-class travel ban for gov’t appointees still in force

President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed that his government’s ban on first-class travel for ministers and public officers remains firmly in place.

Speaking at the 77th Annual New Year School conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, on Tuesday, January 6, the President shared a personal experience that demonstrated the enforcement of the policy.

“First-class, for those of you who have travelled in first class before, it’s got eight cabins. And this person arrived and was the only person in the first-class cabin. And I said, ‘Oh, President, why have you done that?’ He said he was the only person in the first-class cabin. And he asked why. He asked the stewards, ‘Why aren’t people travelling in your first class?’

“And the stewards said, ‘The President of Ghana has banned all his ministers and public officers from travelling first-class. And so all the ministers and public officers are at the back here in business.’ And it’s true, when he went, several chief executives and others were in business class. So the ban is still effective,” he said.

President Mahama used the example to underscore his administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline and cost-consciousness in public service, signalling that the policy will continue to guide government travel arrangements.