Presidential Jet: Ablakwa Accuses Akufo-Addo Of Flying Commercial While State Jet Is In France

• Akufo-Addo's mode of transportation for foreign travels has come to the fore again as Okudzeto Ablakwa makes new disclosure
• The opposition MP is alleging that the state jet that was described as not fit to travel over six hours has been flown from Ghana to France by an unknown person
• He said the jet flew to France around the same period the president landed in Netherlands via a commercial flight, and has accused the presidency of not being prudent with tax money

MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed the president’s flight activities, claiming the state jet recently flew to France with someone other than Nana Akufo-Addo.

Mr Ablakwa posted on Facebook that the presidential jet, the Falcon 900EX, was on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, flown non-stop to France for a flight time of six hours and 24 minutes from Accra.

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“Ghana’s Presidential Jet is still in France as of today, September 7, 2022, since landing at the Paris Le Bourget International Airport at 3:20 pm on August 30, 2022.

“Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo left Accra on the night of September 3, 2022 aboard KLM after delaying the commercial flight,” he said.

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs further dismissed an earlier claim by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, about the airworthiness of the jet.

Mr Arhin had said the state jet was no longer fit to fly direct beyond six hours, but Mr Ablakwa said the state jet flew for six hours and 24 minutes to Paris, France, on August 30.

He wants the presidency to explain to Ghanaians who used the presidential jet to France and disclose the purpose of that trip.

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“Why did government not pursue judiciousness and frugality by harmonizing both travels to save taxpayer funds, particularly in this period of IMF bailout economic crisis, especially considering that the Presidential Jet flew to the same enclave within the same week of the President’s travel?” he demanded.

He wants Akufo-Addo to exhibit prudence and respect for his pledge to protect the public purse by returning home on September 10, 2022, aboard the state jet.

Presidency Responds To Ablakwa's Concerns About Presidential Jet In France

Director of Communications at the Presidency has responded to Mr Ablakwa's concerns.

According to him, contrary to the insinuations being cast by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, no one used the Presidential Jet to France.

He also stressed that no one is using the Presidential Jet in France.

"The only persons who flew the jet to France are the crew made up of pilots from the Ghana Air Force," he said in a statement.

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Ablakwa Shares Photos Of Akufo-Addo’s Alleged New Expensive Private Jet That Cost Ghana GH¢167,000 An Hour

Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that Ablakwa has published photos he said are the president’s new choice of a GH¢167,000 an hour private jet for international travels.

In a Facebook post, the opposition MP for North Tongu said that President Nana Akufo-Addo was only pretending to be a changed man when he flew commercial on his last two US and UK trips.

“He [Akufo-Addo] has returned to his grossly insensitive and reckless ways of profligate travelling in ultra-luxurious charters.

“Probably thinking he will escape our unimpeachable surveillance if he switched companies, President Akufo-Addo on this occasion decided to abandon his favourite LX-DIO operated by Global Jet Luxembourg and opted for German-based private jet operator — K5-Aviation,” he posted on Facebook, Friday, June 24, 2022.

Source: YEN.com.gh