The Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, is expected to be in Parliament later today, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, to respond to questions on Ghana’s Presidential Jet filed by the Member of Parliament for North-Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
According to Parliament’s provisional order paper for the day, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa will ask the Minister whether the Presidential Jet (Dassault Falcon-9G-EXE) is in good condition to serve its purpose.
The urgent question has generated controversy following an earlier publication by Mr. Ablakwa with regards to the cost incurred by the President on his recent trips using a private jet.
Per parliamentary practice, the MP will be allowed to ask three supplementary questions as a follow-up to the answer from the Minister for Defence.
The basis for the question
The North Tongu lawmaker has claimed President Akufo-Addo has spent an amount of GHS 2.8 million on his recent travels to only South Africa and France using the services of a private jet.
“The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet. The manufacturers describe it as “the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets.” It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately £15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it”, the legislator alleged in a post on Facebook.
He accused the President of blowing the money “to satisfy his insatiable appetite and comfort at the expense of the suffering masses”.
“Let’s further analyze President Akufo-Addo’s latest trip to Europe: per Flightradar24, the G-KELT aircraft left Accra with the President to Paris on the 16th of May — a 6 and half hour duration. Airlifted the President from Paris to Johannesburg for 11 hours on the 23rd of May.”
“Then Johannesburg to Accra on the 25th of May was a five and half hour flight. This gives us accumulated flight travel of 23 hours; so at £15,000 an hour, it thus cost us a colossal £345,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GHS2,828,432.80,” he posted.
Government has so far not officially responded to any of his claims.
