Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the North Tongu MP, says it is ridiculous for Dominic Ntiwul, the Defence Minister to tell parliamentarians that, Ghana decided to hire President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the luxurious £15,000 per hour private jet because he needed to take bath in the sky.
He questioned the number of times the President takes his bath when working from the Jubilee House in Accra.
Dominic Nitiwul in answering an urgent question in Parliament filed by the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs on why President Akufo-Addo hired a £15,000 per hour private jet recently for his trip abroad said:
“This aircraft will carry a load of 11 persons minus the crew. When this aircraft is travelling to the eastern part of the USA or Asia, it will not load a crew of more than eight plus the luggage. So, it depends on where it is going. Secondly, I have also said the aircraft has to do refuelling stops, and also in this COVID-19, when you are travelling to multiple destinations like the president’s recent travel, the Falcon couldn’t have been taken because he would have had to do technical stops which are not desirable.”
Nitiwul added, “the president works hard enough to rake in money for the country, hence deserves more than a Falcon.
When he is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips that brought huge sums of money for this country, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves. 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,” Nitiwul justified.
But speaking to Joy FM, Wednesday evening, monitored by GhanaWeb, Okudzeto Ablakwa asked, “when the President is on land, in Accra, working as President, does he take his bath every six and half hours?
Accra to Paris is just six and half hours, why is having a shower so important [to the President]”
Ablakwa averred that Ghana bought its Presidential jet the same year France bought its Presidential jet, that is, 2010, “they are still using the Presidential jet”.
When asked if it is the same specifications, Okudzeto Ablakwa said, “no that’s another specs”.
He however pointed out that the analogy is that France is still using the Presidential jet they bought in the same year that Ghana bought its own.
He further stated that, before the Falcon was bought, Ghanaians were made aware that the lifespan of the airplane was at least 20 years and 2021 is the eleventh year of the plane and “[the] Presidential jet is in serviceable condition, there is nothing wrong with it.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that the government’s explanation is just a “post facto rationalization just to justify an unjustifiable £15,000 per hour [private jet the country hired].”
He added that President Akufo-Addo could fly back to Ghana to refuel the Falcon if he was afraid of contracting COVID-19 as the Minister claimed in Parliament.
“Look, I have been part of a Presidential delegation [before], when you land for refuelling, you are given an option to disembark or you stay in the aircraft. Often President Mahama and Mills have stayed onboard, so, this COVID excuse is a non-starter […] Accra to Paris, you don’t need to refuel. The only other challenge will be Paris to Johannesburg. Now, all you do is travel from Paris to Accra; six and half hours, you refuel and you go to Johannesburg for five and half hours. So this COVID excuse is a total non-starter,” Okudzeto Ablakwa explained.
