Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa accuses Akufo-Addo of using taxpayer’s money for luxurious private Jet
He also wants to know why the president’s jet has been abandoned
Government to acquire new presidential jet for Akufo-Addo
The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has refused to give details on the total cost of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent trips to France, Belgium and South Africa with a chartered luxurious private jet.
According to the Minister, the cost of the trips is bound with rules of confidentiality and state secrecy of the ministry, the reason he cannot give out the details.
“Mr Speaker, recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa by President Akufo-Addo are paid for out of the operational funds from the Ministry of National Security. Mr Speaker payments out of the ministry’s operational funds are glued with rules of confidentiality and state secrecy and it is not the normal practice…to make the suggested disclosures.”
The comment was at the back of a question by the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, seeking to know how much the president’s recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa in May this year cost the Ghanaian taxpayer.
The debate around presidential travels has been championed by the North Tongu MP, who has alleged the recent travels of President Nana Akufo-Addo to the NAM conference cost Ghana “US$588,000 which translates to a scary GH¢3.5million.”
Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency announced recently that the government had plans of acquiring a new presidential jet because the current one was not fit for purpose.
He said Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul will give further details on the planned acquisition in due course.
The Minister who was summoned before parliament justified the President’s decision to rent the aircraft, arguing that the capacity of the presidential aircraft can no longer carry the President’s entourage.