‘You had a good Math teacher, so how come’ – Ayariga jabs Jinapor over $1b presidential jet claim
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga took a swipe at Damongo MP Samuel Jinapor in Parliament on Wednesday after the latter claimed the 2026 Budget had allocated $1.2 billion for a presidential jet — an assertion Ayariga dismissed as inaccurate and mathematically flawed.
During a debate on the 2026 Budget and Financial Statement on the floor, Samuel Jinapor claimed that the government has made provision to purchase a presidential jet worth $1.2 billion.
He indicated that this expenditure item in the 2026 budget was a misplaced priority because of the supposed challenges in the country.
“In spite of all these problems, the government wants to spend US$1.2 billion to purchase a presidential jet… I’m talking about 1.2 billion United States dollars to purchase a presidential jet when you cannot pay nurses, when you cannot purchase farm produce, when you cannot recruit workers,” he said.
Reacting to this, the Majority Leader challenged the Damongo Member of Parliament to show the part of the budget where it is stated that the government intends to purchase a presidential jet worth $1.2 billion.
“Mr Speaker, we agreed from the onset to allow free flow of debate, and we’re all committed to that. But then we caution that we should be accurate in our statistics and our figures.
“Mr Speaker, he said that in this budget, $1.2 billion has been allocated to buy a presidential jet. Mr Speaker, he should just show us which line item contained in the budget has an allocation or a proposal of $1.2 billion for the purchase of a presidential jet… Otherwise, you have to expunge this from the record of this House, because nowhere in this budget, nowhere in this budget, is $1.2 billion allocated for the purchase of a presidential jet,” he said.
He added, “$1.2 billion! How much is Air Force One? Air Force One, how much does it cost? How much does Air Force One cost for us to allocate $1.2 billion for a presidential jet? Mr Speaker, he should show us… US$1.2 billion for a presidential jet. I want to see that.”
The Majority Leader indicated that the amount stated in the budget for the said expenditure was GH¢2 billion, and he was surprised by how Jinapor would claim the figure was equivalent to $1.2 billion.
He mocked the Damongo MP, suggesting that he had a problem with mathematics while in school.
“Fufusu Primary School is a very good primary school. I know very senior civil servants and academics who are products of Fufusu Primary School. And I know that you had a good maths teacher in that school.
“Mr Speaker, because I know that you had a good maths teacher in that school, that’s why I’m surprised that when you convert, when you convert GH¢2 billion into dollars, you get $1.2 billion… I was surprised, because I know the school is good, and I know you had a good maths teacher, so it is obvious that it is not the school,” he said.
Watch video of the debate below
Source: Ghanaweb
