• Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said this will cater for the payload required for such trips
• This follows questions by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to the minister on why the president did not use the presidential jet during his recent travels
A request from the government for a new aircraft which can carry between 70 and 100 passengers has been made.
It follows the controversies on the government’s hiring of an airplane for the president’s recent travels to France, Belgium and South Africa, and exposed by the minority in Parliament, led by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to have cost the taxpayer a total of GH¢2.8 million.
In his responses on the floor of Chamber of Parliament, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, made a call for a new presidential carrier to compliment the payload, reports myjoyonline.com.
“The Ghana Airforce of Ghana is once again requesting for a multi-functional aircraft to add to its inventory as a requisite command and control asset, to be able to connect Ghana’s National Security to diplomacy,” he explained.
Also, he offered justifications on the decision to hire the aircraft, arguing that the safety of the President was considered above what it would cost the nation to transport him.
This, however, has not been a convincing response to the North Tongu MP in whose name the question in Parliament stood.
“After eight hours, you need to refuel. From Accra to France is six and half hours so you could have gone to France directly without requiring refuel. From France to Belgium, you could have flown directly without refueling, the challenge would be from France to South Africa that’s eleven hours with that you need one stop to refuel,” he explained.
The North Tongu legislator added that, “we have used the presidential jet with President Mahama and President Mills and when it’s time for refueling you stay in the aircraft and its refueled it doesn’t even take an hour.
“So the excuse we are have been given today that because of Covid it will take two hours and the President will have to be out there and exposed to Covid is not tenable with all due respect it is a cock and bull story we are not buying it.”
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to provide details into the expenditure of the president’s travels lately to the Parliament House. Read Full Story
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