The Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul has justified President Akufo-Addo’s usage of the private jet for his trips abroad.
He said the safety of Akufo-Addo must be the ultimate factor in deciding the type of aircraft he uses for his trips abroad. Answering questions on the floor of parliament, he said the current presidential jet has many challenges such as the limited passengers it can carry, the number of times required for refuelling on a trip and luggage capacity among others. This, he said, makes the aircraft not fit for purpose.
Nitiwul indicated that the president cannot even take his shower on the aircraft. “In fact, the president would also have to go a day ahead because no president can shower in this aircraft. He cannot move from this aircraft straight into a meeting.”
He added that when Akufo-Addo is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips, he will need more than just a Falcon. Ablakwa’s claim Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has made claims that President Akufo-Addo spent Ghc2.8m on a private jet on his recent trips to France and South Africa.
In a post on his Facebook page, he alleged that Akufo-Addo decided to rent an aircraft that cost the Ghanaian taxpayer £15,000 an hour. He further added that the President left Accra for Paris on May 16, 2021, and then from Paris to Johannesburg and back to Accra on May 25.
Ablakwa stated that the trip accumulated a total of 23 hours amounting to £345,000. At the current exchange rate, the amount totals GHS2,828,432.80.
