Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is alleging that President Nana Akufo-Addo hired another luxurious aircraft on his recent foreign trips to the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany.
According to him, the trips on the hired jet cost the state £14,000 per hour and a cumulative ¢3.46 million.
On Tuesday, the North Tongu lawmaker, in a post on his Facebook page, called for a national policy on presidential travels akin to what pertains in other jurisdictions.
“For his recent travels to the UK on the 27th of July, 2021, to attend the Global Education Summit and last week’s state visit to Germany, he blatantly refused to travel in the presidential jet.
“Instead, he opted for another top-of-the-range VIP luxury charter jet specifically known to industry players as the Boeing 737-900ER BBJ3,” he alleged.
According to him, the Luxembourg-based aircraft is registered LX-DIO and operated by Global Jet Luxembourg. Its Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) is 62515 with Line Number 5659.
“The 19-seater luxury jet, which has a HEX code 4D0213 is configured VIP, has 2x CFMI engines and was delivered to the current operators in November 2015.
“Very few luxury jets boast of its features. Its manufacturers say the cabin is divided into multiple sections to guarantee exceptional comfort. It provides a VIP lounge for relaxation, Five-Star dining facilities, Royal Master bedroom, Cinema Room, specially delineated for watching movies, which is a separate accessory from other in-flight entertainment systems, and of course, just as you predicted correctly, complete with a luxury shower (apparently, the sky bath continues unabated – all royalties paid to Defence Minister, Nitiwul).
“Using the conservative rate of $14,000 per hour, the two trips to the UK and Germany which require some 28 hours of travel distance in and out plus an additional 13 hours of pick up and drop off time, the taxpayer has been burdened again to the colossal tune of $574,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GH¢3.46 million,” the Facebook post read.
Below is his post on Facebook: