Director of Communications at the Jubilee House has reacted to comments regarding the Presidential jet’s supposed relegation by President Akufo-Addo.
Eugene Arhin seems baffled by what he sees as the North Tongu legislator, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s overzealous enthusiastic scrutiny of the president’s foreign travels.
He insists that the MP’s latest epistles accusing the president of lavish expenditure by flying privately to the same location of the jet’s current location in France is inaccurate.
Mr Arhin, in a social media post, debunked the claims explaining that the Presidential jet was in the European country for repair works.
The ranking member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday questioned why Ghana’s presidential jet was flown non-stop to France for a flight time of over 6 hours contrary to claims that the aircraft is unable to fly long haul.
According to Samuel Okdzeto Ablakwa, the flight happened days before the visit of President Akufo-Addo to the Netherlands and France.
“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 quizzed.
But Eugene Arhin says “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,” the Communications Director said on Facebook.
Against this backdrop, Mr Arhin wondered how the MP expects the President to embark on his trips aboard the aircraft which is being repaired.
He subsequently called on Mr Ablakwa to “minimize his penchant for engaging in propaganda regarding the Presidential Jet, to avoid further embarrassments to his person.”
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