Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi has accused Member of Parliament for the North Tongu in the Volta region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of making claims of the President’s travel expenses without having any evidence.
On his accord, transactional details of the President’s travel expenses are critical if anyone wants to accuse President Akufo-Addo of renting lavish private jets for his official travels.
He advised the North Tongu MP to in the future have all the cards before laying any accusations at the president’s doorsteps.
“I asked Okudzeto the other day if he knows the cost of the President’s travels and he said yes but that is not the case. He needs to look at the transactional details and not simply compare prices. He needs to bring invoices and compare prices before criticizing him,” he stated.
Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi claimed the President may not be paying premium for the rental of these aircrafts and has a transaction deal with the aircraft owners. “I will allow the President to use my car for free if he decides to travel in it to Kumasi. That way the commercial value of the car will increase and I can leverage it to my advantage. If someone comes to rent it and I tell them the President used it, I can charge them more.”
He argues that in the same way President Akufo-Addo renting these private jets may cost him less because of the commercial value he will give to the owners after use. “Okudzeto should present the invoices for these rentals before coming out to assume the amount paid by Ghana.”
Background
The Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs Committee alleged that President Akufo-Addo’s three recent foreign trips cost the taxpayer a whopping GH₵10 million.
Mr Ablakwa, in his latest submission, is accusing the President of chartering a luxurious jet costing the taxpayer GH₵3.7 million for his current trip to the United States.
In May 2021, Mr Okudzeto stirred controversy when he alleged the nation paid £15,000 an hour as the President opted for luxurious aircraft instead of using the Presidential jet on his travels to France, Belgium and South Africa.
The Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee told an Accra-based station the President is abusing his discretionary power by not using the presidential jet for his foreign travels.
In early September 2021, Mr Ablakwa again alleged that the President hired another luxurious aircraft on his recent foreign trips to the UK and Germany.
