Akufo-Addo travels glued by confidentiality, state secrecy : I can’t disclose cost – Ken Dapaah

The Minister of Defence, Mr Albert Ken Dapaah has said he is unable to disclose the total cost of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo – Addo’s recent travels because it precincts on national security.

That he said was because the President’s travels are funded by the operational fund of the Ministry of National Security, which is guided by confidentiality and state of secrecy.

Mr Ken Dapaah was answering questions in Parliament about the President’s recent travels which has become a matter of public concern.

“Mr Speaker, recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa by His Excellency the President are paid for out of the operational funds from the Ministry of national Security

“Mr Speaker payments out of the ministry’s operational funds are glued with rules of confidentiality and state secrecy and it is not the normal practice…to make the suggested disclosures.”

Akufo-Addo spent whopping GHS 2.8 million on 23hrs travels – Okudzeto Ablakwa alleges

It could be recalled the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had raised concerned on various platforms about the cost of the president’s travels, most especially, the cost incurred in his trip to France and later Germany using private jet.

He alleged, the President spent a whopping GHS 2.8 million on his trip to South Africa and France using the services of a private jet.

“The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet.

The manufacturers describe it as the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets.” It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately £15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it”, he alleged in a post on Facebook.

Let’s further analyze President Akufo-Addo’s latest trip to Europe: per Flightradar24, the G-KELT aircraft left Accra with the President to Paris on the 16th of May — a 6 and half hour duration. Airlifted the President from Paris to Johannesburg for 11 hours on the 23rd of May.”

“Then Johannesburg to Accra on the 25th of May was a five and half hour flight. This gives us accumulated flight travel of 23 hours; so at £15,000 an hour, it thus cost us a colossal £345,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GHS2,828,432.80”,

Mr Ablakwa also questioned the President’s £14,000 per hour trip to Germany and subsequently filed questions in Parliament to the Defense Minister,  and the National Security Minister for answers on what he described as extravagant travels.

Source: GhanaPlus.com