Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu in the Volta region, is taking the foreign travels of President Akufo-Addo as a personal mischievous project to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.
The North Tongu NDC MP, who his party founder once described as having sharp teeth, is also embarking on this agenda through lies and unsubstantiated allegations aimed at creating an unfavorable image for President Akufo-Addo.
Undoubtedly, I am not surprised at the behaviour of Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa. Why because he disrespectfully executed a similar agenda against his party founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings to the glory of his paymasters. And If he could do that to the NDC founder, he can exhibit more such unprincipled behaviour towards our President he considers as his political opponent.
But the records are clear. Crystal clear that President Akufo-Addo has never chartered a plane for his own private use or personal business. All the foreign trips by President Akufo-Addo through chartered planes are for official duties largely due to the unfit purpose of the current state of the Presidential Jet.
It is quite annoying to hear Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa criticizing the foreign trips of President Akufo-Addo considering the records of Mr. Ablakwa when he was a Deputy Minister in Mahama’s government.
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa as a Deputy Minister was traveling to the United Kingdom on a weekly basis mostly through business class tickets to pursue a Master’s Degree Programme at the University of Leicester.
If Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa was able to finance his personal business class travels on a weekly basis to the United Kingdom (UK), why can’t the President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces travel in a chartered plane for important and critical official assignments?
For the avoidance of doubt, President Akufo-Addo never traveled to the UK or Germany to pursue a Master’s Degree or for a luxurious lifestyle. President Akufo-Addo was in Germany to secure over a 1.5million dose of COVID-19 Vaccines for Ghanaians.
Even if the President spent £14K per hour and a cumulative of GHS 3. 46million on a chartered plane to attend G20 Impact with Africa and so what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that because through this trip the whole Nation is going to benefit from the 1.5 million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines that President Akufo-Addo successfully negotiated with the German Chancellor.
As a country, it is important we put a stop to the habit of politicizing the travels of our President if truly we care and concern about his security and safety.
To avoid or prevent the President from using Chartered planes for long-distance travels, it is important for Parliament to expedite action and support the Defense Ministry and National Security Ministry to purchase a comfortable Presidential Plane for the Presidency.
