President Nana Akufo-Addo has come under attack over a decision to hire a luxury aircraft which allegedly cost £15,000 per hour for his latest foreign trip.
The President’s recent trip to Europe and other parts of Africa is estimated to have cost the nation the sum of £345,000, i.e. GH¢2,828,432.80 at the current exchange rate.
But the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has justified why President Akufo-Addo embarked on his 10-day foreign trip using a rented plane instead of the presidential jet, the Falcon.
He argued that the President’s business trip to multiple destinations–France, Belgium and South Africa– required a large entourage.
‘In practical experience since the aircraft was acquired in 2010 whenever the aircraft is travelling to the eastern part of United States or Asia, the aircraft will not load through more than eight plus the luggage. So it depends on where it is going and the payload with it.
‘Secondly, I have also said the aircraft has to do refuelling stops, and also in this Covid-19, when you are travelling to multiple destinations like the President’s recent travel, the Falcon couldn’t have been taken because he would have had to do technical stops which are not desirable.
‘Again, when he is travelling with more than 20 people for a business trip, as he has done and brought huge sums of money for this nation, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves’.
‘In fact, the President would also have to go a day ahead because no president can shower in this aircraft. He cannot move from this aircraft straight into a meeting’.
