I don't agree with Mahama's decision to completely remove taxes on betting - Franklin Cudjoe
In a Facebook post on March 12, 2026, Cudjoe questioned the consistency of the President's leadership on government spending.
"Mr. President, with due respect, 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 wrote.
The criticism centres on a government directive requiring public officials to justify official travel on economic grounds.
Cudjoe argued that President Mahama's reported use of his brother's private aircraft contradicts this expectation and undermines the credibility of the administration's code of conduct for public officials.
"Such actions could undermine the credibility of the government's directive," Cudjoe stated, emphasizing that leaders must demonstrate strict adherence to the same standards they impose on their appointees.
The IMANI Africa president also warned that the situation sends conflicting signals about the administration's commitment to transparency and accountability in the use of public resources. He suggested that repeated such incidents risk damaging public confidence in the government's stated values.
Cudjoe further referenced what he termed the "dead goat syndrome," a phrase previously used in Ghana's political discourse to describe perceived indifference to public criticism. He cautioned that the President's actions risk reviving these criticisms.
The statement represents one of the latest criticisms of the Mahama administration's spending practices as it implements IMF-backed economic reforms designed to restore fiscal discipline following Ghana's 2024 debt restructuring.