The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for New Juaben North constituency has taken on Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for questioning the travels of President Akufo-Addo.
Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang has said the penchant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislator to question the presidential travels is borne out of hypocrisy and double standards.
Mr Ablakwa has alleged that President Akufo-Addo had hired jets that cost the state £14,000 per hour and a cumulative ¢3.46 million.
He said the luxurious aircraft was hired on his recent foreign trips to the United Kingdom and Germany.
Mr Ablakwa had also alleged that the President, again, hired a private jet at the cost of ¢2.8 million on his travels to France, Belgium and South Africa at the expense of tax-burned Ghanaians.
He filed an urgent question in Parliament to get answers on the cost and why Ghana’s presidential jet was not used but his request is yet to be met by the government.
The MP has raised another question which he is hoping gets answered and subsequently gets Ghana to pass a national presidential travel policy to stop such profligate expenditure.
But, the NPP Chairman on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday accused Mr Ablakwa of wanting to gamble with the security of the President.
He maintained that the presidential jet was not in a good state for presidential travels.
Chairman Boateng Agyemang cited how President Akufo-Addo and his entourage escaped an accident when one of the engines of the aircraft developed a fault and went off.
“The aircraft had to fly around to burn fuel before landing in Washington. I was there and saw the trauma the President went through. Why do we play politics with such a sensitive issue,” he quizzed.
The NPP New Juabeng North Chairman said assuming without admitting that the President spent the amounts being alleged, Ghana has gained more from the travels over the years.
He cited how Germany gifted Ghana COVID-19 vaccines to corroborate his claim and urged Mr Ablakwa to “stop wasting our ears”.
Chairman Boateng Agyemang said the decision to hire a jet for presidential travel is for the safety and not luxury of the President.