The founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo, has jumped to the defence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo regarding the £15,000 used for his foreign travel.
He said the travels were necessary for the country’s development.
His comments come after the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa criticised the President over what he described as “expensive” travels.
He said Nana Addo has consistently abandoned the presidential aircraft which was used by three former Presidents.
According to him, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, and John Mahama all used to travel in the Ghana-owned presidential aircraft.
Ablakwa, therefore, wondered why Nana Addo decided to abandon the presidential aircraft, causing the country to spend millions of cedis on a private jet.
In a Facebook post, the lawmaker said Nana Addo rents the Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation for £15,000 an hour during each foreign travel.
“It is an outrage and a blatant betrayal for Ghana to own a presidential aircraft in perfect working condition which was ordered by President Kufuor, used by President Mills and President Mahama; and yet President Akufo-Addo chooses to charter a top-of-the-range luxury aircraft offered by Acropolis Aviation,” Ablakwa wrote
Kofi Akpaloo reacting to the development has charged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to explain why such an amount was spent on the president’s travel when it goes beyond what was budgeted for the year.
Speaking on Accra-based Kingdom FM justified the money the President used.
He said “That the records are there to show is important, accountability; that these expenses are not hidden from the public is important so then, the question is, once they are out there, are they even justified?… and I will say, an absolute yes.”
“Yes, to the extent that the president has a duty to perform.
“It all impacts on growth,” he added.
“…he will go with that relevant minister to deal with sectorial issues he is going to attend to…,” Kofi Akpaloo explained.
