North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has replied the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin on the Presidential Jet issues.
Mr Ablakwa said a statement issued by Mr Arhin in response to his earlier comment on the jet only confirms his revelations.
“The Ghana Presidency today has confirmed the following; that Ghana’s presidential jet has indeed been flown nonstop from Accra to Paris on August 30 2022 as I put out.
“That government consistently deceived Ghanaians when they claimed that Ghana’s Presidential jet was no longer fit for direct flights beyond 6 hours to destinations such as France, Belgium, UK and the Netherlands.
“This therefore further exposes the unjustified and unconscionable profligate €20,000 an hour oligarchic charters which have so far cost the suffering tax payer more than GHS34 million.”
Ghana’s Presidency Keeps Confirming My Revelations. pic.twitter.com/Ci3JpMOBhM
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) September 8, 2022
In the view of Mr Arhin, this will help Mr Ablakwa to avoid further embarrassments to his person.
The earlier Facebook post of Mr Ablakwa on Wednesday September 7 said “I disclose with absolute certainty and without fear of contradiction that a few days before President Akufo-Addo’s current travel to The Netherlands and France, Ghana’s Presidential Jet — the Falcon 900EX was on Tuesday August 30, 2022 flown non-stop to France for a flight time of 6hours and 24minutes from Accra.
“It is instructive to note that contrary to what Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, would want us believe as per his earlier claims that the Presidential Jet is no longer fit to fly direct beyond 6 hours— a dubious claim which now stands discredited; the Presidential Jet on this latest trip was flown direct or non-stop for 6hours and 24minutes to Paris, France.”
But reacting to him, Mr Arhin said “Contrary to the insinuations being cast by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, no one “used the Presidential Jet to France”, and 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.”
Below is his full post….
My attention has been drawn to a Facebook post made by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa regarding the use of the presidential jet, and my responses are as follows:
- Contrary to the insinuations being cast by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, no one “used the Presidential Jet to France”, and 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.
- Indeed, the Presidential Jet departed Ghana on 30th August to France for major repair works to be carried out on it – repair works which are very much long overdue. The Air Force has indicated that the Presidential Jet will be out of service for a total of four (4) months, and will return to Ghana and be available for use in December. It will be recalled that in May this year, the Minister for Defence, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, alerted Ghanaians to the fact that the Presidential Jet would be flown to France for major repair works to be undertaken on it.
- In view of this, how Hon. Ablakwa expects President Akufo-Addo to return to Ghana on Saturday, 10th September, from his current trip to the Netherlands and France on board the Presidential Jet, which is undergoing major repair works and is scheduled to return to Ghana in December, beats my imagination.
- I would urge Hon. Ablakwa to minimize his penchant for engaging in propaganda regarding the Presidential Jet, to avoid further embarrassments to his person.