News of President Akufo-Addo using taxpayer’s money to fly a private jet to France and Johannesburg has resurrected more allegations against the President.
This time, the NDC’s Felix Kwakye-Ofosu claims the President in 2019, at the expense of the taxpayer, flew a jet which costed $17,000 per hour to watch the champions league match between Real Madrid and Liverpool in Spain.
“This is not the first time. He has rented other jets of similar prices. There was another jet that cost $17,000 an hour. He rented that one from Accra to Madrid to watch a Champions League final between Tottenham and Liverpool. Ghana had no interest to go and watch that tournament but he flew at the nation’s expense to watch that match. He went with an entourage and not alone too,” he said on Metro TV.
However, Nana Akomea, Managing Director of State Transport Corporation, said on the same platform that the state of the country’s own Presidential jet makes it unsafe for long journey travels.
He noted that since the Presidential jet almost crushed in 2018, it was advised that the President only use it for short distances and not more than 5 hour journeys.
Therefore, based on this advise, the country has no choice than to buy a new jet or charter one for the President whenever he has to travel a long distance.
“The claim that President Akufo-Addo has decided not to use the presidential jet is not true. It is not president Akufo-Addo’s decision. In fact, what has been recommended since 2018 October where they almost had a crash in America…
“… the reports that came out from the experts in the military and so on was that they shouldn’t use that jet for long-distance travel and for more than 5 hours and ordered that either the president charters or we buy a new aircraft,”
He noted that the President uses the Presidential jet in his local travels and within West Africa.
Source: GhanaFeed.com