The government has announced that it has begun the process of acquiring a new bigger presidential jet to cater for presidential travels.
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin told the press on Monday, September 27, that the Interior Minister has already commenced the processes for Ghana to procure the new jet to save the state from expenses.
“You would recollect that when the government of President Kufuor left office in 2008, it had procured two jets – the current Falcon and a bigger one, but for one reason or the other, the bigger jet was cancelled, and we were left with just one. That has happened, but you will recall that the Defence Minister stated clearly that the government has decided to buy a bigger jet to save us from all these troubles.”
“I don’t want to go into the details, but I am sure that when the Minister gets the opportunity, he will give further information on what the government is doing in that respect, but I am sure of the fact that government is already in the process of getting a bigger jet for use”, he disclosed.
President Akufo-Addo has come under intense criticisms from the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and a section of the public for using taxpayers money to charter a luxurious jet for his recent trips to Germany, South Africa and the United States of America at the neglect of the country’s Falcon 900 EX presidential jet.
The government had clarified that the Falcon presidential jet was not convenient for official trips as it couldn’t take more numbers and had limited facilities for the comfort of a president.
The controversy on the presidential jet was revived recently after the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that he had filed two other urgent questions demanding disclosure of the full cost of President Akufo-Addo’s trip to the United States.
Mr. Ablakwa sought explanations as to why the President chartered a luxurious jet that cost GH¢3.7 million for his recent trip.
“The President has again chartered another flight which cost us GHS 3.7 million. I am filing two other questions on the latest revelations and I am hoping that this time, the government Ministers will not pussyfoot and run away from accountability as they have done all of these months,”
The Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs had initially filed two urgent questions in Parliament requiring disclosure of the cost details of the President’s foreign travels.
He had earlier claimed that the President spent an amount of GHS2.8 million on his initial travels to only South Africa and France hiring a private instead of the Falcon presidential jet.
The President and senior government officials are expected to use the 16-seater Falcon 900 EX which was acquired in 2010 at $37million.
The Finance Ministry however avoided the question on the expenditure, and said that information ought to be provided by the National Security Ministry.
Mr. Ablakwa in his recent claim, affirmed President Akufo-Addo’s three recent foreign trips cost the taxpayer GHS10 million.
“ A cumulative sum of President Akufo-Addo’s recent three luxury trips abroad imposes a colossal GHS10million on the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer”.
But, the Communications Director at the presidency, Eugene Arhin has disputed the MP’s claims at earlier press engagements describing them as false.